FAIRFAX, Va. - The Samford men's basketball team continued its season tonight in postseason play at George Mason in the opening round of the National Invitational Tournament. The Bulldogs couldn't overcome a slow start in the first half as they fell at the Patriots 86-69. The Bulldogs end their season with a 22-11 record while George Mason moves to the second round against Bradley.

After a week off since their previous game in the Southern Conference Tournament, the Bulldogs got off to a sloppy start in the first half. They shot just 33 percent from the floor but Samford also committed 12 first-half turnovers which allowed the home side to take 11 more shots. Not only did the Patriots get more attempts but they shot at a 50 percent clip in the first 20 minutes. 

The Bulldogs shot just 3-of-12 from deep as they entered the game as a top-15 three-point shooting team. Seven different players scored for Samford, led by Riley Allenspach off the bench who was able to get to the line and score seven points to lead the way. GMU was in control as they led Samford 45-24 after 20 minutes of play.

The second half was much more of the Bulldogs seen throughout the season. They picked up the pace and forced more possessions as they attempted a massive comeback. The Dogs were 9-of-22 from three in the second half, led by Jaden Brownell who scored 24 of his career-high 27 points in the second half as he went 8-of-12 and 6-of-9 from deep in the second 20 minutes of play. 

Credit to the Bulldogs for their effort in the second half as they cut what was a 25-point deficit at its highest to 13 with four minutes left. Having expended so much to get the game within striking distance, the Bulldogs ran out of gas and time as they missed a couple of open threes before GMU put the game away late. 

The Patriots shot 50 percent in the second half as well but on just 20 attempts as they had a parade to the free-throw line, taking 23 of their 36 in the second half. Brownell's career-high led the way as Lukas Walls was the lone other Bulldog in double figures. Josh Holloway and Julian Brown each added nine points in the game while in his final game as the Bulldog, Rylan Jones had a game-high eight assists. 

The Samford year ends with their second straight season reaching postseason play beyond the SoCon Tournament. The Bulldogs had the second most regular-season wins in a season with 22, behind only last season's NCAA Tournament side. Head coach Bucky McMillan sits at 99 career wins in his time at Samford.

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