FAIRFAX, Va. – The Long Island University men's basketball team fell to George Mason on the road Wednesday night, 80-74. The Sharks were led by 26 points from redshirt senior Raiquan Clark, and a double double from redshirt junior Ty Flowers, who had 13 points and 14 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to escape the Patriots. With the loss, LIU moves to 0-3, while GMU is now 3-0.
 
GAME BREAKDOWN
The contest was a game of runs, as the leaf would change hands seven times, and the score would be tied nine times. Early in the night, LIU scored first, but GMU answered with seven straight points to take a 7-2 lead. The Sharks would answer with a 9-4 run that tied it up at 11, and the tone of the game was set from there.

Mason led by as many as seven in the first half, 26-16, but the two teams would head into the break knotted up at 36, in part driven by eight points from Jermaine Jackson Jr. for LIU.

The home team started the second half on a 7-0 run, but Clark hit a three and Flowers would make a layup 40 seconds later to cut he gap back down to two, 43-41. Sophomore Virshon Cotton would hit a three pointer just over a minute later to tie it back up, 46-46.

After four straight points from senior Jashaun Agosto closed the gap to 63-60, GMU would score five unanswered points to take their largest lead of the game, 68-60 with just under five minutes to play.

LIU would continue to battle, and a three pointer from Flowers would keep the Sharks in shooting distance, 74-72 with 1:53 to go, but Mason would convert their free throws late in the game and end the period on a 6-2 run, giving them the 80-74 win.
 
SHARK BITES

• Senior Raiquan Clark had a game-high 26 points, on 10-18 shooting, along with six rebounds.
• Ty Flowers had his third-straight double double, with 13 points and 14 rebounds. He also had three assists, two blocks and a steal.
• Sophomore Virshon Cotton had a season-high 11 points, and a team high four assists and two steals.
• Senior Jashaun Agosto had 14 points, going 5-for-8 from the field, while sophomore Jermaine Jackson Jr. had his first eight points as a Shark.
• Jordan Miller led George Mason with 25 points; the Patriots had four players in double digits.
• LIU shot just 23.8 percent from three-point range, and was outrebounded, 39-38.

 
UP NEXT
Up next, the Sharks will travel south once more, to face off against Delaware State, Monday, November 18 at 7 p.m.