Box Score (PDF)

• Freshman Goanar Mar tallied career highs in points (22) and rebounds (11) to post his first career double-double
• Junior Otis Livingston II added a season-high 20 points and dished out five assists
• Redshirt-freshman AJ Wilson posted career highs in points (12) and blocks (8); The eight blocks are the second-most by any player in the nation this season

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (3-1) used a second half surge for the second straight game to earn a 78-73, overtime victory Saturday over Cal State Northridge.

In the team's final opening round contest of the Cancun Challenge, the Patriots trailed CSUN 41-35 at the half. In the second, Mason allowed CSUN to shoot just 28.6 percent in the second and overcame an 11-point deficit to tie the score up at 67 heading to an extra session. Mason was +5 (12-7) in OT to capture the win.

For the second-straight game, freshman Goanar Mar came up huge for the Green & Gold. He tallied career bests in points (22) and rebounds (11) to record his first double-double of his young career.

Junior Otis Livingston II added a season-best 20 points while tallying five assists and four rebounds in 42 minutes.

Off the bench, redshirt-freshman AJ Wilson made critical play after critical play for the Green & Gold. He tallied 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3pt FG) and notched a career-best eight blocks.

The eight-block mark by Wilson is the second-best single-game block total in the nation this season as well as the second-highest in Mason history.

The Patriots shot just 41 percent for the game but were clutch at the free throw line. After coming into the game shooting 52.7 percent as a team from the charity stripe, Mason was a much-improved 95.0 percent (19-20) against the Matadors.

Behind Wilson's block party, Mason's 11 team blocks mark the fifth most by a Patriot squad in school history.

Livingston II scored Mason's first seven points and the Patriots hit two of their first four 3-pointers to build an early 10-7 lead. Mason extended its edge to 15-9 on a triple from Grayer, but CSUN responded with a 7-0 spurt to take a 16-15 lead at the 10:55 mark of the half. A run of 11-0 extended the Matador edge to 10 (29-19) with 6:57 to go in the period.

Mason cut the lead to three (37-34) on a 3-point play from Mar, but CSUN finished the half strong and took a 41-35 edge into the break.

CSUN extended its lead to 11 (53-42) with 14 minutes to play, but from there, the Patriots began to mount a comeback.

The Green & Gold rallied with a 9-0 run - highlighted by five points from Wilson - to push back within two (53-51) 9:12 to play.

CSU went back up seven at 58-51, but the Patriots quickly tied it back up at 58-58 after another triple from Wilson and four points from Livingston II.

With Mason up 62-60, CSUN hit a triple and a lay-in to re-take a 3-point edge (65-62) with 2:56 left.

The Matadors led 66-64 with 1:32 left, but Mar converted a crucial bucket to tie the score at 66-66 with 14 seconds left. Mason got a stop on the ensuing CSUN possession and forced overtime.

In OT, Mason rattled off six-straight points to go up 74-68, but CSUN came back within one (74-73) with 51 seconds to play.

At that point, Livingston II and Justin Kier each put together key 2-of-2 performances at the line to close out the win for the Green & Gold.

Mason flies to sunny Cancun, Mexico for a two games in the 2017 Cancun Challenge. The Patriots open the Mexico portion of the event with a 6 p.m. contest vs. Conference USA power Louisiana Tech on Tuesday (Nov. 21). The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network. Mason will then either play Fresno State or Evansville on Wednesday (Nov. 22) at either 6 or 8:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. The games will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

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