Northern Iowa vs. George Mason: Panthers defeat Patriots in OT thriller, 82-77

Northern Iowa fans know about the power of the 3-point shot. It was instrumental for Ben Jacobson's team to reach the Sweet 16 in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The shot was on display in Fairfax again on Saturday night, as the Panthers drained 11 of them to defeat George Mason 82-77 in overtime.

Panthers guard Marc Sonnen had seven of them, which accounted for all 21 of his points on the day. Anthony James made a triple and had five points in overtime for NIU, and 19 overall in the game.

The game was close all night, with the Patriots tying the game on Sherrod Wright layup with 1:19 left in the game. Regulation ended shortly thereafter with the score tied 69-69. Wright also had six points for the Patriots in overtime, finishing the game with 20.

George Mason's offense was more methodical, with 10 different Patriots scoring buckets. No player hit double-digits in scoring until 2:17 left in the second half, with Sherrod Wright scoring scoring his 10th, 11th and 12th points on a trey.

The Patriots are now 6-4 on the season and will play Richmond on Dec 22.