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FAIRFAX, Va. -- In the first-ever meeting between the schools, George Mason rode a 15-point second half from freshman DeAndre Abram to a 75-70 comeback win over Longwood Saturday evening at EagleBank Arena.
 
The 6-7, 182-pound Abram broke out for a career-high 24 points as the Patriots (5-7) overcame a 10-point deficit and held off a late Longwood (3-9) charge by knocking down eight of their final 10 free throws inside the final minute. Abram hit the last three of those with under 10 seconds remaining to fight off a Longwood team that had trimmed the deficit to three points.

"It was a tough pill to swallow," head coach Jayson Gee said after the loss. "It hurt us when (senior forward Lotanna Nwogbo) got two fouls in the first half when we thought we had their backs against the wall. We were unable to extend the lead and we went into the half down one. That was a key factor in the game."

George Mason held Longwood's Big South Preseason All-Conference center to just three points in 10 minutes in the first half, assisted in part due by the two fouls he picked up by the 7:17 mark. Nwogbo would bounce back to finish with 12 points and six rebounds for the game, but his first-half foul trouble allowed the Patriots to turn a double-digit deficit to a 32-31 lead by halftime.

The Lancers led by as much as 11 in the first half and were up 23-14 when Nwogbo picked up his second foul. Immediately after Nwogbo subbed out, the Patriots scored six straight points that sparked an 18-8 run to close the half, punctuated by a buzzer-beating jumper by Marquise Moore that pushed George Mason ahead 32-31. The Lancers never retook the lead.

Abram took over in the second half, scoring 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting to hold off the Lancers. The 24-point effort by Abram neutralized the best game of the season from Longwood senior Shaquille Johnson, who hit 9-of-11 field goals en route to a season-high 23 points and his second double-double.

"Shaq is constantly fighting to do well," Gee said. "One of the things I challenged him on was to fight back when we were down. His numbers were great and he gave a great effort, but I think he'd agree he can do even better."

Johnson scored 11 in the second half and grabbed seven of his 11 boards after halftime, effectively countering Abram's contributions for the Patriots. However, George Mason junior guard Marquise Moore made up the difference, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the second half while also adding three assists.

George Mason's backcourt duo of Moore and Otis Livingston combined for 27 points, nine assists and just three turnovers for the game. That duo shined in the absence of Longwood sophomore Kanayo Obi-Rapu, who suffered a leg injury early in the first half and was limited to just six minutes. Senior guard Leron Fisher, running the point with starting point guard Tra'Vaughn White also sidelined with a hand injury, played 36 minutes as the Lancers' lead guard, adding 13 points and a steal that extended his streak of games with at least one swipe to eight.

"You just roll with the punches having Leron at the point for so many minutes," Gee said. "He fought hard and did the best he could do. It's hard to lose anybody, but it's certainly harder to lose your leading scorer. Knowing [Obi-Rapu], he'll fight back and he'll be back in the fold."

Obi-Rapu, the Lancers' leading scorer with 14.2 points per game entering the night, did not score and finished 0-for-1 from the floor. His status is day-to-day with the leg injury, though his absence coincides with the upcoming return of White, who has missed seven straight games with a broken hand. The redshirt senior point guard had his cast removed Thursday and is considered day-to-day.

"The good news is we have Tra'Vaughn coming back and that will help us when we get him fully healthy," Gee said.

Longwood now has two non-conference games remaining before the start of Big South play on Dec. 31 against UNC Asheville. The Lancers conclude their current four-game road swing Tuesday at Dartmouth before returning to Willett Hall to host Cairn on Dec. 28.

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