Patriots pull away, await return of Cornelius

December 10, 2011   ·   1 Comments

by Cody Norman

Mason 76, Radford 61

RADFORD, VA – With suspended guard Andre Cornelius set to return on Dec. 21 against Duquesne, Saturday evening’s matchup with the Radford Highlanders may have been an audition for guards Corey Edwards and Bryon Allen.

As Edwards struggled through foul trouble through much of the game, Allen gained the upper hand and contributed 11 points and six assists to a 76-61 victory. Edwards had just two points and three assists but made his presence felt on the defensive end, coming up with loose balls and tipping passes to rattle the Radford offense for 12 turnovers.

“My role on the court doesn’t show on the stat sheets,” Edwards said. “I’m out there for leadership, tipped passes and vocal leadership.”

The addition of one more guard to an already crowded lineup will likely push one of the early-season regulars out of the rotation, leaving either Edwards or Allen as the odd man out.

“I don’t determine [who plays],” said Paul Hewitt, whose team improved to 7-3 with the victory over Radford. “They will determine that by how they play.”

With Cornelius serving a 10-game suspension, Allen and Edwards have been the beneficiaries of extended playing time and valuable experience in the backcourt.

Allen has started eight of 10 games, averaging 7.3 points and 2.2 assists per game. He has steadily improved all season as he has familiarized himself with Hewitt’s up-tempo offensive system. Edwards, on the other hand, took over as the starting point guard before being sidelined with a concussion on Nov. 28.

Postgame Press Conference — Paul Hewitt

Postgame Press Conference — Ryan Pearson & Bryon Allen

“Maybe the only benefit of having [Cornelius] out was that those guys got a lot of experience before we head into CAA play,” Hewitt said. “Corey, in particular, got a lot of value and experience that he may not have gotten had [Cornelius] been around.”

While serving the suspension handed down after he was charged with a felony larceny in October, Cornelius has been available to practice with the Patriots and has been able to push both Allen and Edwards in practice.

“He’s just been encouraging us to play hard and practice hard and things will fall in to place,” Edwards said.

Cornelius started all 34 games for the Patriots last season, averaging 9.5 points per night for the27-7 squad. With Vertrail Vaughns struggling from the perimeter, Mason is in need of an outside presence that Cornelius can provide. His 138 career 3-point field goals ranks ninth in Mason history, needing just 17 to pass Cam Long.

“DJ is a great player. He’s going to help us out when he gets back,” Allen said. “That got us ready for the future but when he gets back, we’re going to be up and rolling.”

Points: Mike Morrison 17, Ryan Pearson 14, Bryon Allen 11, Sherrod Wright 12, Vertrail Vaughns 4, Erik Copes 6, Jonathan Arledge 4, Vaughn Gray 6, Corey Edwards 2