FAIRFAX, Va — A lot of folks aren’t yet aware, but something special is happening in Northern Virginia.

The George Mason basketball team, once left for dead after three losses to start their season, is the reason, and the local fans are really starting to buy in.

Playing against a hungry Fordham (9-9, 0-5) team on Saturday evening, the Patriots (11-8, 5-1) used a game-winning three-pointer by Otis Livingston II to snag a 71-68 victory and improve their conference record to 5-1. It wasn’t always easy for the Patriots, who trailed by four at halftime, but nobody hung their head when things got tough. Instead, they continued growing as a unit with ball movement on offense and constant chatter on defense.

Livingston II, who finished with 17 points and six assists, drilled the step-back three with 0.4 seconds remaining to break a 68-68 tie and send the hometown crowd into a frenzy. Justin Kier continued making his case for Atlantic 10 Player of the Year with a team-high 18 points and nine boards.

You can see Otis Livingston‘s game-winning three below:

The starting unit — made up of Livingston II, Kier, Jarred Reuter, Javon Greene, and newcomer Jordan Miller — is making a case for the best collection we’ve seen yet this year. They scored 59 of 71 points on Saturday, and although their defensive stats weren’t eye-popping, it’s clear they’re extremely long and have the potential to be way above average going forward.

From the bench, seldom-used reserve Jason Douglas-Stanley gave the team a huge boost with 10 memorable minutes. He fit in their scheme seamlessly and buried two big three-balls in the first half to keep Mason close.

As for the crowd, which was reportedly only 4,000 strong, they deserve a lot of credit, too. In person, it felt more like 6,000 fans against Fordham and when Mason really needed a boost, it felt like the place was packed to the brim. As the team’s win total grows, so do the believers. It’s obvious these fans legitimately care about this specific group of players; they’re thirsty for a winner and Dave Paulsen’s team is giving hope on a nightly basis.

Eagle bank crowd helped a lot tonight…felt like way more than 4000 @MasonMBB @eaglebankarena pic.twitter.com/bucVVe1fNV — Slackie Brown (@SlackieBrown) January 20, 2019

After the game, Paulsen talked about the culture, saying it “was as good as could be.” As someone who watches a lot of their games, it’s the culture, and the fact that they seem to generally like one another, that makes the team so easy to get behind.

You can see the entire postgame presser here, via GMU Giant Killer.

George Mason, winners of three straight, is now 11-8 on the season and 5-1 in Atlantic-10 play (tied for the most conference wins). They have a huge showdown on Wednesday evening against Dayton (12-6, 4-1), potentially the best team the conference has to offer.

On a non-Mason note, Fordham’s Nick Honor was the most impressive opposing player I’ve seen at Eagle Bank Arena this year. The dude looked like Jameer Nelson out there, muscling through the lane on drives and burying deep threes while being the smallest guy on the court (and a freshman).