Wednesday, November 13
Fairfax, Va./EagleBank Arena
7:00 PM
Central Michigan University
2-2,0-0MAC
70
at
69
George Mason
2-2,0-0Atlantic 10
1
2
F
Central Mich.
36
34
70
George Mason
33
36
69
Team Stats
CMU
GMU
FG%
.410
.408
3FG%
.385
.250
FT%
.833
.706
RB
32
36
TO
13
15
STL
11
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
21
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Damarion Bonds 3-pointer Gives Chippewas 70-69 Win at George Mason
11/13/2024 10:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Anthony Pritchard scores game-high 21 points before fouling out, Jakobi Heady finishes with 10 points, seven rebounds, and six assists; Bonds adds 10 points and hits game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds left to give Chippewas the victory; Central Michigan wins second road game of the 2024-25 season.
FAIRFAX, Va.—Damarion Bonds swished a 3-pointer with two seconds to play to give the Central Michigan men's basketball team a come-from-behind 70-69 victory over George Mason Wednesday night at EagleBank Arena.
Clinging to a 69-67 lead, George Mason had possession of the ball with 13 seconds to play following a timeout, but an errant inbounds pass ended up in Central Michigan's hands. After a shot was blocked, the ball found Bonds, who caught it and launched a 3-pointer that swished through the net with two seconds to play to give the Chippewas the lead. George Mason's halfcourt heave was off its mark.
The Chippewas won the game without three starters who were sidelined after fouling out: Anthony Pritchard, Ugnius Jarusevicius, and Bryan Ndjonga.
Central Michigan head coach Tony Barbee was not surprised when the ball found its way to Bonds with the game on the line.
"I'm thinking he's going to make it," Barbee said of the play. "He's just a gamer. We were running stuff to him down the stretch there to get him shots. It didn't find him. But when it did find him on that play, whether he missed or made it, I'll live with it because I know he's got the courage to take it."
"All you try to do on the road is win by one or 30, it doesn't matter, you've just got to get out of here with a win. And we did just that. With the depth we have, we weathered the foul trouble and we found a way. That's all that matters."
The victory was more impressive considering George Mason had won 30 of its last 35 home games.
Pritchard led Central Michigan with a game-high 21 points, dished out five assists and hit 7-13 field goals before fouling out with 15 seconds to play. It was his fifth career 20-point game. Jakobi Heady played a great all-around game as he scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and finished with a team and career-high six assists. Bonds added 10 points on 4-9 shooting and two 3-pointers, including the game-winner, and Jarusevicius added nine points and four rebounds.
Central Michigan improves to 2-2 on the young season, while George Mason falls to 2-2. The game marked the third and final contest of the three-game Marquette Challenge. Central Michigan is back in action next Wednesday when it hosts Central State at McGuirk Arena. Tipoff is 7 p.m. for Neon Night.
"We've got a helluva team," Barbee said. "We're tough, we're tough-minded. This is a process of getting better all year long and becoming the complete team that we can become. Right now, we're the team we are at today, it's nowhere near where we'll be a month from now. And the first of January, we're going to be even better, and February, and so forth, and especially as we get healthy."
"We're missing possibly a starting center in Armani Mighty and possibly a starting power forward in Mohammad Habhab."
After committing 26 turnovers on Monday in an eight-point loss at No. 15/15 Marquette, Central Michigan finished the contest with just 13 turnovers.
"That's our goal, 13 or less turnovers," Barbee said. "You're not going to play a perfect game. You're not going to play timid and get zero. If you do that, that means you're not playing aggressive. We will take 13 every single night. That means you're getting good shots at the rim every time down the floor."
Central Michigan built its largest lead of the second half, 53-47 on a Bonds 3-pointer with 10:57 to go. It wouldn't last as the Chippewas suddenly ran into foul trouble.
George Mason went up 67-64 when Jared Billups converted a 3-point play after scoring a layup with 2:51 to play. Central Michigan had several opportunities but missed shots on two different possessions. Finally, George Mason's K.D. Johnson was fouled. He converted 1-2 free throws to give the Patriots a commanding 68-64 lead with 31 seconds to go.
Central Michigan rushed down the court and Kyler VanderJagt banked in a 3-pointer to cut the margin to 68-67 with 20 seconds left. George Mason inbounded the ball to Johnson, who was fouled by Pritchard with 15.9 seconds to play. Johnson missed the first free throw but made the second for a 69-67 lead. The Chippewas then turned the ball over, giving the ball back to George Mason with 14 seconds to go. That's when the Patriots threw the errant inbounds pass.
The first half was closely contested as both teams held the lead. The Chippewas shot 50 percent from the floor (14-28) and hit five 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes. The Chippewas battled back from a 17-9 deficit as they outscored the hosts 12-4 over the next two minutes. Heady scored on a 3-point play which he converted while taking an alley-oop pass from Pritchard, Heady followed with a jumper, and after a VanderJagt steal, hit a 3-pointer. VanderJagt scored on a jumper and a Bonds layup tied the game at 21-21 with 8:08 to go in the half.
Central Michigan took the lead in the last minute after scoring each of the half's last two baskets, an Ugnius Jarusevicius 3-pointer at the 1:04 mark and a driving layup Pritchard which gave CMU a 36-33 lead into the half.
CMU started Pritchard, Ndjonga, Harding, Vasko, and Jarusevicius for the second straight game. Quentin Heady saw his first action off the bench.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Central Michigan assistant coach Scott Cherry, who spent two different stints with the Patriots as an assistant coach from 1999-02 and 2003-97.
CMU men's basketball season tickets and single game tickets are already on sale. Fans can order season tickets by calling Ticket Central at (989) 774-3045, by ordering on this link, or by stopping by Ticket Central located in the John G. Kulhavi Events Center between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Single-game tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16. For more information, click here.
Clinging to a 69-67 lead, George Mason had possession of the ball with 13 seconds to play following a timeout, but an errant inbounds pass ended up in Central Michigan's hands. After a shot was blocked, the ball found Bonds, who caught it and launched a 3-pointer that swished through the net with two seconds to play to give the Chippewas the lead. George Mason's halfcourt heave was off its mark.
The Chippewas won the game without three starters who were sidelined after fouling out: Anthony Pritchard, Ugnius Jarusevicius, and Bryan Ndjonga.
"A FANTASTIC FIRED UP FINISH IN FAIRFAX" @AdamJaksa on the game-winning call.#FIREUPCHIPS🔥⬆️🏀 pic.twitter.com/XULmYEcdMh
— CMU Men's Basketball (@CMUMensBBall) November 14, 2024
Central Michigan head coach Tony Barbee was not surprised when the ball found its way to Bonds with the game on the line.
"I'm thinking he's going to make it," Barbee said of the play. "He's just a gamer. We were running stuff to him down the stretch there to get him shots. It didn't find him. But when it did find him on that play, whether he missed or made it, I'll live with it because I know he's got the courage to take it."
"All you try to do on the road is win by one or 30, it doesn't matter, you've just got to get out of here with a win. And we did just that. With the depth we have, we weathered the foul trouble and we found a way. That's all that matters."
The victory was more impressive considering George Mason had won 30 of its last 35 home games.
🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻#FireUpChips🔥⬆️🏀 pic.twitter.com/Ugpiv8em90
— CMU Men's Basketball (@CMUMensBBall) November 14, 2024
Pritchard led Central Michigan with a game-high 21 points, dished out five assists and hit 7-13 field goals before fouling out with 15 seconds to play. It was his fifth career 20-point game. Jakobi Heady played a great all-around game as he scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and finished with a team and career-high six assists. Bonds added 10 points on 4-9 shooting and two 3-pointers, including the game-winner, and Jarusevicius added nine points and four rebounds.
Central Michigan improves to 2-2 on the young season, while George Mason falls to 2-2. The game marked the third and final contest of the three-game Marquette Challenge. Central Michigan is back in action next Wednesday when it hosts Central State at McGuirk Arena. Tipoff is 7 p.m. for Neon Night.
"We've got a helluva team," Barbee said. "We're tough, we're tough-minded. This is a process of getting better all year long and becoming the complete team that we can become. Right now, we're the team we are at today, it's nowhere near where we'll be a month from now. And the first of January, we're going to be even better, and February, and so forth, and especially as we get healthy."
"We're missing possibly a starting center in Armani Mighty and possibly a starting power forward in Mohammad Habhab."
After committing 26 turnovers on Monday in an eight-point loss at No. 15/15 Marquette, Central Michigan finished the contest with just 13 turnovers.
"That's our goal, 13 or less turnovers," Barbee said. "You're not going to play a perfect game. You're not going to play timid and get zero. If you do that, that means you're not playing aggressive. We will take 13 every single night. That means you're getting good shots at the rim every time down the floor."
Central Michigan built its largest lead of the second half, 53-47 on a Bonds 3-pointer with 10:57 to go. It wouldn't last as the Chippewas suddenly ran into foul trouble.
George Mason went up 67-64 when Jared Billups converted a 3-point play after scoring a layup with 2:51 to play. Central Michigan had several opportunities but missed shots on two different possessions. Finally, George Mason's K.D. Johnson was fouled. He converted 1-2 free throws to give the Patriots a commanding 68-64 lead with 31 seconds to go.
Central Michigan rushed down the court and Kyler VanderJagt banked in a 3-pointer to cut the margin to 68-67 with 20 seconds left. George Mason inbounded the ball to Johnson, who was fouled by Pritchard with 15.9 seconds to play. Johnson missed the first free throw but made the second for a 69-67 lead. The Chippewas then turned the ball over, giving the ball back to George Mason with 14 seconds to go. That's when the Patriots threw the errant inbounds pass.
The first half was closely contested as both teams held the lead. The Chippewas shot 50 percent from the floor (14-28) and hit five 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes. The Chippewas battled back from a 17-9 deficit as they outscored the hosts 12-4 over the next two minutes. Heady scored on a 3-point play which he converted while taking an alley-oop pass from Pritchard, Heady followed with a jumper, and after a VanderJagt steal, hit a 3-pointer. VanderJagt scored on a jumper and a Bonds layup tied the game at 21-21 with 8:08 to go in the half.
Central Michigan took the lead in the last minute after scoring each of the half's last two baskets, an Ugnius Jarusevicius 3-pointer at the 1:04 mark and a driving layup Pritchard which gave CMU a 36-33 lead into the half.
CMU started Pritchard, Ndjonga, Harding, Vasko, and Jarusevicius for the second straight game. Quentin Heady saw his first action off the bench.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Central Michigan assistant coach Scott Cherry, who spent two different stints with the Patriots as an assistant coach from 1999-02 and 2003-97.
CMU men's basketball season tickets and single game tickets are already on sale. Fans can order season tickets by calling Ticket Central at (989) 774-3045, by ordering on this link, or by stopping by Ticket Central located in the John G. Kulhavi Events Center between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Single-game tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16. For more information, click here.
—CMU—
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