Brown’s 21 Second Half Points Lift Huskies Past George Mason, 77-74
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Terrell Brown Jr. scored 23 points and PJ Fuller equaled a career high with 21 points off the bench to help Washington earn a hard-fought 77-74 win over George Mason (4-2) at the Crossover Class in The Sanford Pentagon.
The Huskies (3-2) never trailed during the final 27 minutes of the game, but they needed every bit of their effort from the free throw line down the stretch to keep the Patriots at bay. UW made 19 of its last 21 attempts and were 7 for 7 in over the last 90 seconds to hold on for the three-point win.
"I'm really proud of our team," Husky coach Mike Hopkins said. "We beat a really good basketball team tonight. They have a great coach; they went down and beat Maryland at Maryland. They are a team to be reckoned with."
It was the Huskies who were the team to be reckoned with early on. The Huskies shot 54.5% from the field in the first half (12 of 22), including 5 of 12 from behind the 3-point line to take a 31-23 lead into the locker room.
Fuller provided a huge spark off the bench, making a trio of 3-pointers, the third which gave the Huskies a 20-16 advantage.
First half triple No. 4??
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— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) November 23, 2021
George Mason tied things up, 20-20, before Washington went on a 9-0 run to take its biggest lead of the game. Brown capped the run with a pair of steals that turned into assists when he fed Emmitt Matthew Jr. and Daejon Davis for back-to-back dunks.
The Huskies' eight-point halftime advantage evaporated in a flash when the Patriots hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the half and by the 16:56 mark, the game was tied.
Washington would not falter once the Patriots came back, thanks to Brown's heroic second-half effort. Once again, he put the Huskies on his back and poured in 21 second-half points after having only two at the break.
"He's incredible," Fuller gushed about Brown's ability in the clutch. "He's one of the best bucket getters I've ever played with. He's very poised. His IQ level is through the roof. He's just a very intelligent basketball player."
With Washington up 62-60 with 4:47 to play, Brown went on a personal 6-0 run over a 63-second span to pump the Huskies lead back to eight, 68-60.
The Patriots would go on a mini five-point run, but once again Brown came to the rescue, hitting a driving layup and getting fouled for a three-point play.
Brown would tack on two more free throws and Fuller was 4-for-4 in the last 18-seconds to secure the win for the Huskies.
Besides Brown tallying 23 points – his fourth 20-plus point effort in five games – he grabbed eight rebounds, had four steals and dished out four assists.
Davis had 10 points to give the Huskies three double-digit scorers.
Washington had a season-high 15 assists and had an 18-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Washington will face South Dakota State (5-1) in its second matchup of the tourney on Tuesday, with tip scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The Jackrabbits beat Nevada, 102-75, in the first game of the day.