Score: VCU 54, George Mason 50
Location: Fairfax, Va. (EagleBank Arena)
Records: VCU 9-7 (1-2 Atlantic 10), George Mason 13-3 (2-1)
 
The short story: Senior guard Max Shulga hit a pair of go-ahead free throws with 1:14 remaining and finished with a team-high 13 points as VCU survived a defensive battle Tuesday night in Fairfax.
 
OPENING TIP

• Shulga also corralled seven rebounds, handed out three assists and grabbed two steals for the Rams. He connected on 2-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc and converted 5-of-6 free throw attempts
• Senior guard Zeb Jackson added eight points, three rebounds and two steals for VCU, while graduate forward Sean Bairstow turned in a six-point, eight-rebound effort
• Redshirt sophomore guard Jason Nelson supplied seven points off the bench for the Black and Gold
• Keyshawn Hall led all players with 14 points for George Mason

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU closed the game on a 9-2 run over the final 2:20. Jackson buried a deep 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:36 left to tie the game at 50-50. Shulga came up with a steal on George Mason's next possession and drew a foul to earn a trip to the free throw line. In a one-and-one situation, he hit both attempts for a 52-50 VCU advantage. The Rams forced a missed 3-point attempt and a turnover on Mason's final two possessions, and Shulga added two more free throws with 2.3 seconds left to clinch the win
• The Rams held the Patriots, who came into the game shooting 38 percent from the 3-point arc this season, to 0-of-15 from long range
• George Mason shot just 37 percent (20-of-54) overall in the game
• The Patriots stormed to an 18-12 lead by the 9:38 mark of the first half, but Shulga and freshman wing Michael Belle splashed back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 9-2 run that gave VCU a 26-24 lead with 3:47 left in the period. Nelson added a coast-to-coast layup before the first-half horn to send the Black and Gold into the locker room with a 30-27 lead

NOTABLE

• Tuesday's contest marked VCU's first true road game of the 2023-24 season. The Rams had played 10 home games, as well as three neutral site contests at the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
• VCU has won four straight against George Mason and improved to 47-22 all-time against the Patriots. The Rams have won in their past seven trips to EagleBank Arena, a streak that dates back to 2016
• The Rams owned a 12-8 advantage on points off turnovers and VCU's bench outscored Mason's 17-9

NEXT UP
VCU will continue its road swing on Saturday, Jan. 13 when it takes on La Salle at Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. at 12:30 p.m. That game will be televised on USA.