Box Score (PDF)

* Mason erased a 25-3 deficit and led 52-49 in the second half
* Junior Jaire Grayer led the Patriots with a double-double (18 pts, 11 reb)
* Freshman Javon Greene tallied a career-best 17 points and made 5-of-8 3-point field goals
 
AUBURN, Ala. – The George Mason University men's basketball team (4-4) overcame a difficult start and pushed Auburn to the limit in the second half, but the Patriots could not complete the comeback Sunday afternoon in a 79-63 defeat.
 
Mason trailed 25-3 after the game's first eight minutes, but the Patriots used a 14-2 first half run and an 11-0 spurt in the second to lead briefly in the final half (62-59) and stay within four (67-63) with four minutes left.
 
The key to Mason's comeback centered around 3-point shooting. The Patriots made 7-of-13 triples in the second half and made 12 in the game overall.
 
Freshman Javon Greene put together a breakout game for the Green & Gold to lead the 3-point effort. The freshman who was 0-of-15 from beyond the arc entering the game, made 5-of-8 attempts and 6-of-10 field goals overall to finish with a career-high 17 points.
 
Junior Jaire Grayer went 4-of-8 from deep and posted his second-straight double-double with 18 points and a season-high 11 rebounds.
 
Junior point guard Otis Livingston II chipped in 13 points and seven assists while sophomore Ian Boyd tallied six assists and four steals in 35 minutes.
 
Mason held the Tigers – who came into the game averaging 90.0 points – well under their average and limited the team to 41 percent shooting (25-61).
 
But the Tigers were +16 (46-30) on the glass and held a +10 edge (15-5) in second chance points.
 
The Patriots were held without a field goal over the game's first six minutes as Auburn jumped out to an early 16-0 lead. The lead ballooned to 22 (25-3) at the 11:08 mark of the stanza, but with the Tigers up 28-8, the Green & Gold began to mount a comeback.
 
After starting 2-of-16 from the floor, Mason made five of its next seven shots – including 3-pointers from Grayer and Javon Greene -  to move back within eight (30-22) on the strength of a 14-2 run. Auburn went back up 13 (37-24) with 2:25 to play in the half and the Tigers took a 39-28 edge into the break.
 
Auburn led 44-33 two minutes into the second half, but from there, the Patriots started scorching the nets from deep.
 
Mar, Grayer and Greene all nailed 3-pointers for the Green & Gold, fueling a run that pushed Mason within three (46-43) at the 16:20 mark of the second half. Auburn went back up six (49-43), but at that point, it became the Javon Greene show. He hit a trio of 3-pointers to help Mason grab its first lead (52-49) at the 13:50 mark of the half.
 
At that point, the Patriots had made six of its first eight 3-pointers of the second half. Auburn pushed back in front by four at 56-52, then used an 11-0 spurt to go up 13 (67-54) with 6:46 left in the game.
 
But Mason would not go quietly, holding Auburn without a point over the next 3+ minutes while using a 9-0 run to pull back within four (67-63) with 4:02 to go.
 
From there, though, the Patriots could not put the ball in the basket over the next few minutes as the Tigers ultimately pulled away.
 
Auburn closed the game on a 12-0 run to finish the job and earn the home victory.
 
Mason now returns home to take a trip down memory lane Wednesday. The Patriots will host old CAA foe William & Mary on December 6 inside EagleBank Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. It's the first of five-straight home games for the Patriots to wrap up non-conference play.