FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Sherrod Wright scored a game-high 23 points and George Mason edged Northern Iowa 76-70 on Saturday night.
George Mason (3-0) took a 51-48 lead at the 9:14 mark in the second half and never gave it up, but Northern Iowa (1-2) remained with the Patriots and closed the deficit to a single point on several occasions.
Patrick Holloway’s 3-pointer with 2:09 left in the game extended the George Mason lead to 67-63, and the Patriots went 7 for 8 from the free throw line in the final 2 minutes of the game to preserve the win.
George Mason held a 36-25 rebounding advantage, including 13-7 with offensive rebounds.
Marko Gujanicic had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Holloway added 11 points for George Mason.
Matt Bohannon scored 19 points to lead Northern Iowa. Seth Tuttle had 17 points while Chip Rank added 14 for the Panthers.
