Fairfax, VA (February 19, 2005)- Peter Mulligan and CJ Anderson combined to score 50 points, but Manhattan was defeated by George Mason, 78-66, this afternoon at the Patriot Center on the GMU campus in the final regular season non-conference game for both schools. The Jaspers fall to 13-12 on the season.
Manhattan score two of the game's first three baskets to grab an early, 4-2, lead before George Mason ran off seven straight points to take a five point lead, 9-4, with 16:40 left in the first half. The Jaspers responded with an 11-6 run to knot the score at 15 with 10:13 remaining in the opening stanza but the Patriots again responded with a run, scoring 10 of the game's next 12 points to open up an eight point lead, 25-17, with 7:29 left in the first half. Manhattan was able to whittle away at the lead over the next five minutes, eventually tying the score at 28 on a Jason Wingate jumper in the lane with 2:15 left before halftime. George Mason answered by scoring the next five points before a Mulligan layup with 42 ticks on the clock made the score 33-30 in favor of the Patriots as the two teams headed into their locker rooms.
George Mason opened the second half with a 10-4 run to stretch the lead to nine, 43-34, with 16:00 minutes left before the Jaspers used a 13-3 run, capped by a Mulligan layup, to regain the lead, at 47-46, with 10:37 left in the game. After the two teams traded baskets, the Patriots gradually pulled away, pushing the lead to double digits on a Tony Skinn layup with 5:29 remaining, and leading by as many as 15, 75-60, with just over one minute to play.
Mulligan grabbed five rebounds in addition to his 25 points, while Anderson pulled down a team-high nine boards, adding three steals, one block and one assist.
Skinn led four Patriots in double figures with 17 points, while Will Thomas added seven points and a career-high 13 caroms.
Manhattan returns to action on Thursday, February 24, when the Jaspers host Canisius at 7:00 p.m. Seniors Mulligan and Justin Gatling will be honored before the game.