george mason-northeastern meet tonight in boston in a key early season matchup in the caa. behind the deep lineup, thepatriots are the league's only unbeaten team, but four other squads are nipping at theirheels one game back. one of those ebts enter on a five-game winning streak fresh off a thrill win at v cu monday. causing a log jam with a win tonight. while the patriots hope to stay one step ahead of the pack. it's mason at northeastern live on comcast sportsnet.

we've got a great one for you tonight here at boston as the 8-6, george mason patriots pay a visit to the 7-7 northeastern university huskies. hi, everybody. welcome inside matthews arena in boston for our coverage of caa basketball. we have two of the very best teams in the caa about to do battle here tonight. >> this is going to be a battle of wills. we have they'd two great teams ready to go at it. as we take a look at the standings at 3-0, northeastern starting to catch some fire here now, mark. >> they've played exceptionally well especially with matt janning in the backcourt. he's a very good skilled, offensive guard, two caa conference player as well as the ball as well as take the ball to the basket. he's aggressive on the offensive end. his backcourt mate in allen, chaisson allen, he's been doing a lost things offensively for this team. he's a very good defensive

player. coach is look for him to do very big things for this ball club. >> 1-2 combination with matt janning and chaisson allen who you'll see out there tonight. heads up from the outside arc on the three-point three-point shots and those two gie.s talking about george mason, a team who has very young talent. freshmen and sophomores that are leading the way. they've had a couple of struggles this year. one has been trying to win on the road. >> they're a very young team. very inexperienced team. they're led by a sophomore ryan pearson. he can do a lot of things, fill the lane, post very well in the low post. he can even get steals. they're going to need a gi big game tonight from him to try to get a victory here at northeastern. >> backcourt guard in cam long has been considered one of the to have guards in the country. he can put the ball on the floor. he can pass to his teammates and preet create. one of the things he must do, he must lead this young mason team to a victory tonight.

>> long and pearson rption two names you'll hear from george mason. starting lineup, opening tip, patriots-huskies from mathews arena right here on comcast sports host: could switching to geico really save you

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quality. let's go kroger. and by rawmdia worldwide. you do your thing. leave the rest to us. boston, massachusetts, as we get ready for this caa battle here tonight. great scenes from the city as we step into matthews arena, historic building built in 1910. the two teams will do battle. there's the head coach of the george mason patriots, jim larranaga, 13th year, 21 wins last year, trip to the n. i. t. picked to finish fourth in the conference this season as we take a look at our starting five. there's not one senior on this starting lineup here for the george mason patriots. all under classman. we talked about poorns and -- pearson and cam long at the start. isaiah tate with his eighth consecutive start for the patriots. that was a big key when he was insert add few games ago. mike morrison and andre cornelius. bill coen is in thinks fourth year and four starters back

from last year's team that won 19 ballgames and his starting five looks like this. matt janning will lead the way we talked about him and chaisson allen in the backcourt. alwayne bigby and manny adako tonight. the tips brought to you by moore family of dealerships. what do you have? >> mark: it will be very important for georges to defend the paint. they'll have to stop the low post of adako and get back on offense, transition defense. that's for northeastern. defense is going to be very important. they're very cognizant of cam long getting out in the open court and rebounding. that will be very key. >> mike: here is the series history. mason leads 8-6, but northeastern has has defeated mason here at home three straight as they try to get the ball but threw it off his players out of bounds.

keys to the game brought to you by the moore family dealerships as we get under way in boston, matthews arena. the patriots have a good start. isaiah tate. he's in the starting lineup now averaging close to six points a ballgame. he was under two before they inserted him. there's the patriots unable to convert their first possession. here comes chaisson allen for the northeastern huskies. >> mark: chaisson allen is going to look to create for this offensive team. matt janning will be looking for as well as adako on the low post area. >> mike: janning is checked by tate. here is a three on the way by allen. it's good. northeastern starts out from beyond the arc with a 3-0 advantage. >> mark: that's a good way to start. they knock down a three by allen. >> mike: chaisson allen has scored in double figures in the last six straight bsmghts

that's his first look in tran sis. -- transit. 3-0, huskies. we're just under way from matthews arena in boston. pearson over the top and the pass to morrison. ojougboh behind him. too much. pearson puts it in for two. >> mark: as we said at the top of the telecast, pearson has been playing very well as of late. the last past seven games, he's ager averaging just under 14 points and seven rebounds. northeastern is going to have to keep them off the boards if they want to try to contain pearson. >> mike: we were talking earlier about the inside guys buice there's -- because there's a lot of guard orientated play out there. comes back two-on-one. [ whistle ] >> mike: ojougboh couldn't hang on the it will be mason bought. we've got pretty good inside guys here for both teams. >> mike: -- >> mark: we have very good guys here. reminds me of manny adako. gets the jump hook quickly off

the glass. as we mentioned early with pearson, he's very good in the low post well and has a knack getting to the free-throw line. >> mike: lay-up of cornelius. down low inside, janning comes up with a rebound. pretty good matchup between these two teams. one-on-one, on there for george mason. >> mark: i think this game will be a ballot of lls. they matchup very well as in size and athleticism. this will be very good contest tonight. >> mike: 2:30 in, northeastern with a 3-2 advantage. shot clock at 10. al has got to do something. three-pointer way off the mark by adako and rebounded. >> mark: a situation like, that you have to be able to

understand what position the shot clock is in. you have to try to create to get to the basket and try to create a double-team to create a better shot. >> mike: wide open for pearson. count it for two. he hasn't taken that shot. he can knock down a three. >> mark: he's shooting 35% from the field. he's capable of knocking down a long shot. >> mike: just a sophomore at 6'6" from rockaway, new york. george mason early substitution here. kevin foster is going to come in for george mason. pearson will take a break. also, luke hancock is in for george mason as well. i know coach larranaga likes him. you talked about that with me earlier, mark, about the steal that they got from this young freshman recruiting him to george mason. >> mark: he was not on thecircuit in terms of what i mean by the circuit, traveling arched the country show indication your talent for

coaches. this is a skill for jim larranaga. he's very happy with luke hancock. >> mike: there's a three from long. no good. rebound by bigby for northeastern. hancock checked in for tate for the patriots who lead by two early on. janning got it knocked away. that's hancock. he has been named the rookie of the week twice already. 6 aout of roanoke, virginia, and he's averaging almost 10 points a game. >> mark: he does a lot of things for this ball club. jim larranaga has him in the game in crunchtimement when the game on the lierngs he might have his hands on the ball because he can do a lost things with the basketball. >> mike: bigby works it out. nice kick out for three. chaisson allen has two plays counting for the northeastern points. they're back up one. >> mark: allen has been shooting the ball very well thus far. very good penetration. very good kick out to a

knockdown three. >> mike: good job there by allen to put his team back up a point. 6-5, huskies. we're under 16 minutes to go in the first half. here is the freshman hancock working against the senior. saving if from going out on the floor. there's foster. hancock, what a move down the lane for two. >> mark: hancock has the ability to take the ball to the rim, shoot the jump shot and do a lot of things offensively that a coach loves a player to do. >> mike: now janning will try his luck from downtown and he'll knock it down! >> mark: on fire, shooting the ball. it's ridiculous. >> mike: northeastern, 3-3 from beyond the arc and 3-5 here in this ballgame. george mason as 3-7. it's northeastern by two. >> mark: george mason is going to have to pay close attention to allen and janning because they're very food long ball shooters. >> mike: here is hancock. thought about the three. double-teaming put on by

thehuskies. 1020 shoot for george mason. cornelius got the careen screen. he miss as three. the rebound by adako. >> mark: northeastern is doing a very good job limiting george mason just to one shot. that's what you want to be able to do. >> mike: huskies firing from long trieng start. that's their first miss from beyond the arc. that's 3-4. we'll see a lot of that tonight, right? >> mark: you win by the three, but you also can diep by the three. >> mike: morrison doesn't get this jumper inside. northeastern's allen will take it up now with a 2 two-point lead and almost 6:00 gone by here in the first half. >> mike: adako against morrison. good matchup there. adako got hit. he'll have a couple of free throws when he returns -- when we return. northeastern has been hitting some three-pointers with ryan

pearson making good plays inside for george mason as they trail by two. we'll be back to boston after this. [vibrates] g morning, sunshine. wakey, wakey. text me back. [chattering] [vibrates] hey. did you tell your parents about us? let's skip first period together. did you get all my texts? is practice over yet? where you at? are you with your friends? that's laaaa-mee.

capital "x," lower-case "o," capital "x," lower-case "o," i love you. jk. i hate you. jk. are you ignoring me? we're in a huge fight right now. is it something i did? i can see your lights on. i'm coming over. this isn't a joke. what did you dream about? [overlapping] is it me? i'm lonely. holla back. holla back. let's try something new. nude pics. send me some. text me. >> mike: back to boston. just about 6:00 gone by in the first half at northeastern huskies lead the george mason patriots by two, 9-7. mike and mark here on the broadcast. thank you for tuning in. there you are. look at that. [ laughter ] >> mark: wow, look at that pib

picture. >> mike: a great career. congratulations on all you accomplished and all american. it's got to be a lot of fun for you as you turn to broadcasting. yeah, i turned to broadcasting. a lot of people ask why didn't i turn to coaching. broadcasting is a lot less stress. >> mike: yeah, you don't have to worry about the game. i just go home. >> mark: absolutely. don't have to worry about recruiting or doing anything. >> mike: northeastern, manny adako a-senior from decatur, georgia put them up by three. got one more free throw here. averaging just over 10 points a game. an excellent outing in the last game. 23 points vcu on the road. they won five straight. he was 11-14 from the field. >> mark: he was very effective in the low post area. they were giving him the ball and he was doing his thing. he has a very good low post moves and a lost moves like i

said kind of reminds me of antawn jamison. he looked very -- he's a very good player on the low post area. >> mike: adako able to hit both free throws. huskies lead by four. and hancock. what a jam the freshman from george mason! >> mark: hancock is a player who can get to the paint and finish! wow. coach says he's very athletic. he does a lost things. no one expected -- a lost things. no one expected him to go down the lane and finish. >> mike: could not convert on the offensive end. they hang on to a two-point advantage. what a move by hancock. he's going to try to do it again. unable to convert that time. ojougboh for the huskies. that sends a message. >> mark: that sends a strong message. i see why coach larranaga eyes light up when i was talk to go him earlier about hancock. >> mike: the recruiting job they've bun done is incredible. >> mark: excellent job. hancock was not on the circuit. you don't have to be a preseason or high school all american to be a good

basketball player. you come out and work on your skills and work on your game, something good can happen to your game. >> mike: shot clock at five. allen, the floater. count it for two. >> mark: that was a good move by allen to penetrate the lane and pull up in a tough area. that's the toughest shot to hit in college basketball and did he that with ease. >> mike: you talk about recruit you go. they're also playing to the players' strengths. i watched william & mary last night, and that team, theircoaching staff, they do a great job playing to the strengths of those players. they do a lot of pick and rolls, a lot of backdoor cuts. they shoot good shots. you don't look at them as being the best of all athletes, but they get it done. [ whistle ] >> mike: offensive foul. let's take a look here. this isth play by hancock here first off. >> mark: hancock saw lane and took the lane. he finished it very strong and then did an excellent job penetrating and getting wide open shots for allen to come down to pull up a teardropper

in the paint. >> mike: foul on hancock. it's his first for george mason. >> mark: coming -- >> mike: coming up on 12:00 to go in the first half. sheer allen. nkem ojougboh puts it in. cuts the advantage down. >> mark: he's another playing who can get the ball in the post and do damage in the post. mason is very aware of their low post players and they want to try to battle to make it difficult for them to score in the painted area. [ whistle ] >> mike: whistle and a foul underneath. it will be on ojougboh and we'll have a time-out. we'll be back in a moment. good game -- good game going on from boston. it's a 15-9 advantage from northeastern.

>> mike: northeastern on top by six in the early going. 11:45 to play in the first half. northeastern trying to win their sixth game in a row here. they've been on a tear. winners of five straight after losing five straight thru. see the graphic of the numbers in which they've done in the 5- 0 run. >> mark: i talked with coach about his hot streak. i toald told him he got a christmas streak from santa. that's when they started the winning streak out in california at the classic car tournament. one of the things he mention node was the fact his team got a chance to bond with each other. it's not like when they're here at home playing in northeastern where kids will eat and go back to classrooms or go home.

at that time at the tournament, they were on top of each other and had no choice but to bond. i think that was a big plus for this team. >> mike: yeah t-started at the tournament in hawaii on christmas day and they got win. then, they went on to win the cable car classic at santa clara. a few wins wins there and then a win over james madison at home. the driving lay-up is good by cam long. gets on the scoreboard for the patriots. >> mark: that was an excellent move by cam long. takes the back with his left hand, fin wished his left hand. that's why he's rated as one of the top point guards in the country. >> mike: james madison win here at home. then, they go down on the road to richmond and vcu and tough place to play. hook shot no good. rebounded by cam long. here come the patriots down by just four. cam long got his first basket on the last drive. long averaging 11 points a game. >> mark: this is going to be a very good matchup between allen

and long because allen is a very good defensive player. that was a good move by pearson. they'll have to try to double- team pearson to get the ball out of his hands. as you let him roam around there freely by himself, it will be buckets all night. >> mike: pearson has a team high seven points so far for george mason. they're back in it. it they were down six. it's down to two. bigby finds bataille. now bataille. good fake. the runner doesn't go. pearson on the rebound forgeorge mason. >> mark: he has to finish that when gets in there. that was a good movement he wasn't able to finish it. >> mike: good look for three that time. no good -- by sherrod wright. no point. advantage here for northeastern. here is cam long able to make the play for the patriots in his first two points of the night. let's get a look at cam long. >> mark: cam long sought open. no one came to help.

>> mike: cam long, leg cramps earlier in the season didn't play against villanova in the earlier game this year with george mason only lost by one point. villanova ranked sixth in the country. rebound by isaiah tate who is back in. wright, one of the other talented freshmen for -- freshman for george mason. they get their freshmen and sophomores to play at such a high level so early into the season about a third of the way through. >> mark: what coach thompson always say, once you get into the second half of the season after december, you're not considered a freshman anymore. >> mike: foul on the play as pearson went up strong. it's on bigby. it will be his first. >> ed: pearson it the option.

he was 1--- >> mark: pearson on the option. he was able to create that foul opportunity. >> mike: pearson, leading scorer and rebounder for george mason this season. george mason here at bigby goes out. here johnny williams goes out. williams, the freshman from memphis, tennessee. played but one game this season for george mason. another freshman who has played well out there this year. mason has tied this ballgame at 15. after the free throws, 9:15 to go in the first half. last year, each team won on their home floor. the tie as his player fell down. adako, as he works it in, and he got fouled. >> mark: adako was in the right position at the right time to

get ball and try to lay it in and create that foul. adako is another person, another player that has the ability to score in the low post area. he has a knack of getting fouled and that possession he was in the right place at the right time. >> mike: foul son mike morrison. that's his second and the third team foul for george mason who is on a 6-0 run to tie the game here at 15-15. adako. preseason caa third selection in '09. needs just 16 points for 1,000 in his career here at northeastern. after the free throws, put the husks up 17-15. adako right now tonight with four points with 12 away from the thousand mark. tate along with wright,

pearson, williams on the court for the patriots who give it up. good play. bataille pass up. that was close. >> mark: that was a good, head's up play. a streaking janning down court. easy lay-up. >> mike: didn't waste any time. that baptiste bataille, the little guy, the 5'10" senior from france, great assist formatt janning. >> mark: you have to gil give credit because he created -- [ whistle ] >> mark: getting it to bataille and throwing it out to a streaking janning for an uncontested lay-up. >> mike: so, northeastern has regained the leepd lead here by four pointsment look again a great hustle by muo down low on the deck and pass to bataille. >> mark: the coaches always say when you see a ball on the floor, get down for if. that's what he did and get the steal and get it to bataille to janning for the lay-up. >> mike: four-point husky advantage here coming up with 8:00 to go in the first half.

allen has hit a couple threes so far here in his first half for the huskies. shot clock at 15. adako. nice pull up. tough shot. he has such a touch around the rim. >> mark: there he goes getting in the painted area for a teardrop. >> mike: trying to if i can up -- pickup where he left off in the last game down at vcu. no one has been able to beat vcu in the last 23 home games with two loss for the huskies. rebound by pearson. battling. doesn't get it and chaisson allen comes up with it and he's fouled. so, pearson is going to be called for the foul and we'll be back in a moment. 7:23 to play in the first half. manny adako and the huskies lead by