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Mitchell Richtmyre/Fourth Estate

Mason’s bench outscored Stony Brook’s bench 52-24 to fuel the win

BY CHRISTIAN SEGOVIA, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Mason men’s basketball bounced back from their loss against Marquette, winning against Stony Brook 94-56 on Nov. 11. Mason senior guard Darius Maddox led the way with 20 points. 

Mason senior guard Jared Billups scored the first two points. Mason got off to an early 26-12 lead with bench points from senior guard  K.D. Johnson, graduate forward  Zach Anderson and junior forward  Giovanni Emejuru. 

Stony Brook used their defensive schemes, shifting from a 3-2 zone to a 2-3 zone to slow down Mason’s offensive game. As Mason passed the ball around, players would get the extra touch to knock down a better shot. Mason was up 46-27 at halftime with the biggest lead at 21 points in the first half. 

“They try to mix it up defensively… 2-3, 3-2, and we were prepared for it after the first or second possession,” Head Coach Tony Skinn said. “It’s good to see the ball going in the hoop, 11 threes. I will take that on any night.”

Mason shot 16-27 on field goals and 50% from the 3-point line, while Stony Brook shot 32.1% from the field and 2-13 from the 3-point line. Mason’s bench outscored Stony Brook’s bench 30-10.

In the first half, Anderson led the way off the bench with 15 points, shooting 5-6 from the 3-point line with five rebounds. Johnson had seven points on 2-4 shooting from the 3-point line and five assists. Emejuru had six points, shooting 3-3 from the field goal with two rebounds. 

Mason gained their largest lead of the night during the second half with 39 points. Maddox scored 16 points in the second half and the bench finished with 52 points as a group. Mason closed the game with a 94-56 win over Stony Brook, marking their largest win in two seasons.

“We have a bunch of guys that can go [for] 20 plus every night,” Anderson said when asked about bench production. “Some nights you take the backseat and some nights it’s your night, so today was my night.” Andreson finished the game with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Mason’s defense shut down Stony Brook, holding the Seawolves to 31.7% shooting from the field and 19.2% from the 3-point line. Mason recorded 12 steals while Stony Brook recorded five steals. Mason outrebounded Stony Brook 43-31. 

Mason will play again on Nov 13. at 7 p.m. against Central Michigan in the final game of the Marquette Challenge at EagleBank Arena. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and student tickets are available through Mason360.