Follow here for live updates throughout the contest from Times-Dispatch deputy sports editor and VCU Athletics beat writer Zach Joachim. 

FINAL SCORE

6:23 p.m.: VCU 70, George Mason 54

The Rams overtook first place in the Atlantic 10 with a scintillating second-half performance spearheaded by Max Shulga's game-high 22 points. 

After Mason led 24-23 at halftime, the Rams (22-5, 12-2 A-10) used a 15-0 run to take a 42-29 lead midway through the second half, and held the Patriots (21-6, 12-2 A-10) at arm's length the rest of the way. 

Mason committed 14 turnovers. Jack Clark (12 points) and Phillip Russell (11) joined Shulga in double figures. Darius Maddox and KD Johnson paced the Patriots with 12 points apiece. 

SECOND HALF

UNDER 4

6:05 p.m.: VCU 57, George Mason 48

A Max Shulga catch-and-shoot 3-ball on the left wing off a Zeb Jackson assist gave the Rams a commanding 57-45 lead with 4:35 to play. 

But Mason cut the deficit to 57-48 after a Darius Maddox FT line pullup just before the final media TO to keep things interesting with 3:53 remaining in the game. 

Shulga led all scorers with 19 points at that point. Jack Clark (10) and Phillip Russell (10) were also in double figures for the home team. 

UNDER 8

5:53 p.m.: VCU 50, George Mason 41

The Rams kept the Patriots at arm's length as the second half neared crunch time.

A Joe Bamisile catch-and-shoot trey between the right corner and wing off a Zeb Jackson assist gave the home team a 50-39 advantage at the 8:10 mark. Woody Newton hit a pullup J on the left elbow to cut the deficit to nine headed into the under-8 media TO, which came with 6:42 remaining in the game. 

UNDER 12

5:40 p.m.: VCU 44, George Mason 31

A Zeb Jackson drive and kick to Jack Clark on the left wing led to a Clark catch-and-shoot trey at the 14-minute mark, capping 15-0 Rams run to put the home team up 42-29 and sending the Siegel Center into unbridled bedlam as the black and gold matched its largest lead. 

That run also included a left-handed transition slam for Clark, and a key Max Shulga steal that led to a pair of free throws. VCU opened the second half shooting 53.8% from the field. Mason had 13 turnovers at that juncture. 

UNDER 16

5:25 p.m.: VCU 35, George Mason 29

The Rams seized the largest lead for either side headed into the under-16 stoppage after scoring on their first six possessions of the second half. 

An emphatic Luke Bamgboye block on Jalen Haynes led to a Max Shulga pullup J in the lane on the other end to give the home team a 35-29 lead headed into the under-16 stoppage.

That came following a Joe Bamisile drive and dish to Bamgboye to open the half, and Bamgboye slammed home for 25-24 to get VCU's momentum going. A Phillip Russell catch-and-shoot 3-ball on the right wing off a pretty Shulga skip pass brought the tally to 30-29 Rams at the 17:30 mark. 

That kickstarted an 8-0 Rams run which culminated in the Bamgboye block and Shulga pullup, drawing the loudest roars of the afternoon from a sold-out Siegel Center. 

FIRST HALF

HALFTIME

5:03 p.m.: George Mason 24, VCU 23

The Rams finished the first half with their lowest scoring output in a half this season, as the Patriots, playing their rugged, defensive style, got a stop on the final possession to cling to the slimmest of leads. 

VCU shot 24% (6-of-25) from the field, and 18.8% (3-of-16) from beyond the arc. Max Shulga led all scorers with 10 points, and Darius Maddox paced Mason with eight points, followed by Jalen Haynes with six. Phillip Russell had five points for the black and gold, and drew a couple key offensive fouls.

Mason won the rebounding battle 22-20, and had a 6-4 edge in offensive boards. The Patriots also won the points in the paint struggle 10-4. The teams combined to commit 21 fouls, 11 for VCU and 10 for GMU. 

UNDER 4

4:45 p.m.: VCU 19, George Mason 18

Phillip Russell drew a pair of offensive fouls in the latter stages of the first half to help VCU wrestle momentum from GMU and take its first lead of the contest. 

A Joe Bamisile steal of an attempted entry pass down low led to a runout with six minutes to go until halftime. Bamisile led the break, found Russell in the left corner, and Russell passed to Max Shulga on left wing, who nailed a catch-and-shoot 3-ball for 15-15.

Then Russell took an elbow to the face from Jalen Haynes, the second offensive foul Russell has drawn in the first half. That turnover led to a pair of Shulga free throws to give the Rams their first lead at 17-15.

A Darius Maddox trey on the right wing gave GMU the lead back briefly at 18-17. Then Bamisile slithered through the lane on a second-chance opportunity, and dunked home for 19-18. 

UNDER 8

4:35 p.m.: George Mason 13, VCU 10

Through 12 minutes, the game maintained a choppy, defensive flow decidedly in favor of the visitors, who clung to a three-point lead headed into the third media timeout after a Jalen Haynes up-and-under finish off glass with nine minutes to play until the break. 

That came after a Joe Bamisile feed to Christian Fermin down low, which Fermin converted off glass for 11-10. Phillip Russell (five points) created a turnover by drawing an offensive foul on the ensuing inbounds play, but the Rams could not capitalize. 

UNDER 12

4:24 p.m.: George Mason 11, VCU 8

A Jalen Jaynes spin and hook shot in the lane gave the Patriots a three-point lead headed into the under-12 media stoppage. 

That came after Max Shulga sank VCU's second 3-pointer of the contest on a handoff from Christian Fermin on the right wing to cut the deficit to 9-8.

Phillip Russell led VCU with five points in the early goings. Haynes led GMU with four. Each team committed four fouls and two turnovers in the first eight minutes. 

UNDER 16

4:15 p.m.: George Mason 7, VCU 2

The Patriots controlled the early goings as the Rams struggled to find an offensive rhythm out the gates. 

Woody Newton sank a catch-and-shoot trey at the top of the key at 18:30 to put the visitors up 5-2, and Jalen Haynes finished a pretty Euro step and layup off glass for 7-2 just before the first media stoppage. 

Rams starting forward Luke Bamgboye picked up two quick fouls, and went to the bench. He was replaced by Christian Fermin. 

Phillip Russell had VCU's first field goal on a foul line pullup J. 

PREGAME

- VCU sits at No. 31 nationally in NCAA NET rankings and No. 31 in Kenpom.com's adjusted efficiency metric. GMU is No. 62 in NET and No. 70 in Kenpom.

- The winner of this game will hold first place in the A-10, and the inside track to the No. 1 seed at the conference tournament. This is the only regular-season meeting this season between the Rams and Patriots. 

- VCU graduate guards Joe Bamisile (15.9 ppg) and Max Shulga (15.2 ppg) lead the Rams in scoring. GMU senior guard Darius Maddox (13.6 ppg) and senior forward Jalen Haynes (12.8 ppg, team-high seven rpg) are the leading figures for the visitors. 

- VCU leads the all-time series against Mason 47-22. The Rams have won four in a row and eight of the last 10 in the matchup with their intrastate foes from Fairfax.