Box Score (PDF)

• Sophomore Justin Kier led Mason with a team-high 17 points (9-9 FT)
• Junior Jaire Grayer added 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds
• Mason is back in action Friday vs. Morgan State (7 p.m.) inside EagleBank Arena

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team could not overcome a stout Penn State defensive effort in a 72-54 setback to the Nittany Lions Sunday afternoon inside EagleBank Arena.

Penn State limited the Patriots to 25.9 percent shooting in the first half en route to building a 38-18 advantage at halftime. Mason outscored Penn State 36-34 in the second half but could not move closer than 17 in the final 10 minutes.

Sophomore Justin Kier led the Green & Gold with 17 points while making all nine of his attempts at the free throw line. The Grottoes, Va., product also tallied three rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes.

"We're in a bit of a funk now offensively," head coach Dave Paulsen said. "We're battling through it but you have to credit Penn State for how they got after it defensively. We have to have a bounce back mentality on defense and on the glass when shots aren't falling. We're going through a tough stretch against good teams with a young team of our own."

Junior Jaire Grayer posted 13 points and nine rebounds for the Green & Gold, while freshman Otis Livingston II tallied eight points. Freshman Greg Calixte posted four points (2-3 FG) and four rebounds in a career-best 23 minutes on the floor.

Penn State (9-3) held a 40-26 edge in points in the paint for the game and was +4 (36-32) on the glass.

Mason (5-7) struggled from the 3-point line for the second-consecutive game, going 0-of-14 from distance. Over the past two games, Mason is 4-of-27 from beyond the arc (.148).

Mason took an early 6-4 lead, but a subsequent 4+ minute scoring drought by the Patriots allowed Penn State to push in front 15-8 at the 11:51 mark of the opening stanza. The Nittany Lions extended their edge to 10 (20-10) at the 9:43 mark and used another 3+ min Mason scoring drought to go up 30-12 with 6:56 to play in the stanza. The Nittany Lions took a 20-point edge (38-18) into the break.

Penn State extended the lead to 44-18 a minute into the second half, but Mason cut it to 20 (47-27) on a lay-in from Kier at the 15:33 mark. Mason was within 18 (49-31) at the 12-minute mark, but the Green & Gold could not move closer than 17 (59-42) for the remainder of the contest.

Mason now wraps up non-conference play with a contest vs. MEAC foe Morgan State on Friday (Dec. 22) at 7 p.m. inside EagleBank Arena. The game will be broadcast on the A-10 DIgital Network.