Dragons Rally From 20 Down to Defeat Mason, 58-54

Thursday, January 31

Fairfax, Va.

7:00

Drexel University

(9-12, 5-4CAA)

George Mason

(12-9, 5-4CAA)

Drexel

George Mason

Dragons Rally From 20 Down to Defeat Mason, 58-54

1/31/2013 9:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Fairfax, Va. –Damion Lee scored 29 points, including a three-pointer with :23 seconds remaining to give Drexel the lead as the Dragons rallied from a 20-point lead to stun George Mason in Fairfax, 58-54.

The Dragons (9-12, 5-4 CAA ) came all the way back and took their first lead of the game when Lee scored on a lay-up and was fouled. Despite missing the free throw, Drexel led 50-49 with 7:17 to play. The teams swapped buckets and with just over five minutes left, Bryon Allen made one of two free throws to tie it up at 52-52. Both teams buckled down on the defensive end and no one scored for almost three minutes. Mason (12-9, 5-4) )went ahead on a Sherrod Wright lay-up, but Lee answered with a short jumper making it 54-54 with 2:16 to play. Again both teams stopped the other until finally Lee drained a three-pointer from the left wing to put the Dragons ahead for good at 57-54. The team had chances to ice it, but Frantz Massenat and Lee each missed a one and one opportunity. After Lee's miss with :07 left, Allen ran up court, but Lee stripped him and was fouled. The sophomore made one of two from the line and the Dragons came away with the unlikely victory.

After trailing by 13 at intermission, Drexel chipped away at the lead and cut it to six on a few occasions but couldn't seem to get over the hump until late in the second half. Derrick Thomas, who finished with 12 points, scored on a lay-up to make it 49-43 with nine minutes remaining. The Patriots tried to counter, but Dartaye Ruffin came up with a block and Lee hit a three-pointer to make it a three-point deficit and the teams battled back and forth down the stretch.

Drexel chipped into the Mason lead late in the first half and trailed 38-25 at the break after Lee nailed a three-pointer right before intermission. Mason built a huge early lead as Drexel struggled from the field in the early going. The Dragons made just one of their first 10 shots and didn't make a field goal for more than seven minutes. The lead swelled to 20 with 3:45 to play in the half when Cory Edwards knocked down a three-pointer.

Lee just missed a double-double with 29 points and nine rebounds. He was 4-for-9 from deep in the game. Thomas was 6-for-11 from the floor. The Dragons held Mason to just 16 points and 28 percent shooting in the second half and outrebounded the Patriots 26-12 in the final 20 minutes. Sherrod Wright led Mason with 15 points, while Jonathan Arledge added 14 points.

Drexel won't have much time to savor this win as they return to action on Saturday night in Boston. The Dragons visit Northeastern at 6 p.m. in a game that can be seen live on The Comcast Network.