Box Score Score: VCU 71, George Mason 47
Location: Richmond, Va. (Stuart C. Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 9-5 (1-0 A-10), George Mason 6-8 (0-1 A-10)
Attendance: 7,637 (75th consecutive sellout)
The Short Story: Melvin Johnson scored a game-high 22 points and Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed added a career-high 16 and eight rebounds in 17 minutes of play as VCU pulled away from George Mason in the second half for a 71-47 victory at the Siegel Center in the Atlantic 10 Conference opener for both teams.
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THE DIFFERENCE
- George Mason cut the VCU lead to six early in the second half, but the Rams forced three turnovers and received four points from Johnson to spark a 10-0 run put the game out of reach at 47-31 with 11:08 left.
- The Rams never trailed Saturday and led by as many as 27.
- VCU forced 22 George Mason turnovers and only gave away a season-low six. The Rams have turned the ball over a total of 13 times in their past two games. VCU outscored the Patriots 24-7 off turnovers.
- Johnson and Korey Billbury combined for 11 points during a 13-0 burst late in the first half that turned a 13-11 VCU lead into a 26-11 advantage.
- The Patriots staged their final run in the opening minutes of the second half. Mason eased within 37-31 with a 6-0 run and held the Rams scoreless for nearly four minutes. But the Patriots would get no closer. George Mason shot just 33 percent (9-of-27) in the second half.
STATS AND OTHER NOTABLES
- With 22 points Saturday, Johnson moved past Danny Kottak and Chris Cheeks for 22nd on VCU's all-time scoring list with 1,291 career points. He's 33 points behind Edmund Sherod for 21st place. Johnson has reached the 20-point plateau seven times this season.
- Johnson is averaging 20.5 points during VCU's four-game win streak.
- Hamdy, who topped double-digits for the fourth time this season, scored all 16 of his points in the second half.
- Lewis finished with six assists and two turnovers. He has produced 16 assists and just four turnovers in the Rams' last two victories.
- VCU has won all four of it's A-10 openers since joining the league prior to the 2012-13 season. The Rams have defeated the Patriots six straight times and lead the all-time series 35-18.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Rams will return to the road following a five-game homestand. VCU will head to Saint Joseph's on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Tip at Hagan Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
