Box Score VILLANOVA, Pa. – The short-handed George Mason University men's basketball team fell in its exhibition opener to Villanova, 84-67, on Saturday afternoon at the Finneran Pavilion.
 
Missing starting point guard Baraka Okojie and Makhai Valentine, the Patriots trailed by six (54-48) with 10:18 remaining, but a late 14-3 run by Villanova ultimately put the game out of reach.
 
Graduate guard Brayden O'Connor led the Patriots with a team-high 14 points and dished out two assists in 31 minutes.
 
Sophomore Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor, who played 25 games in the BIG EAST last year with Butler, added 12 points, seven rebounds and a team-best six assists in 29 mninutes.
 
Freshman Shane Pendergrass chipped in 10 points (4-6) off the bench, while senior forward Elijah Jones registered nine points and team bests in rebounds (8) and blocks (3).  
 
George Mason held the Wildcats to 39.4 percent shooting for the game and made 44.4 percent (8-18) of their 3s on the other end, but 14 second-half offensive rebounds by Villanova led to a +11 edge in shots for the home team in the period.
 
Without Okojie, the Patriots also turned it over 17 times, which led to a 24-9 edge in points off turnovers for Villanova for the game.
 
The Wildcats hit three of their first five triples to jump out to a 13-7 advantage. Villanova extended the lead to 21-12, but an 8-0 run by the Patriots cut the lead to one (21-20) with 7:20 to play in the half. The Wildcats scored eight of the final 11 points of the half to take a 37-28 lead into the break.
 
The Wildcats pushed the edge to 12 at 45-33, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Elijah Jones and Emmett Adair moved GMU back within six (45-39). Villanova held that margin (54-48) with 10:15 to go, but a 9-0 run by the Wildcats gave the home team its largest lead (68-51) with 5:43 left.
 
George Mason moved back within 11 at 68-57, but that late 14-3 run by the Wildcats ultimately put the game out of reach.
 
The Patriots wrap up their exhibition slate with a home contest against St. Mary's (Md.) on Sunday, October 25. Tip-off in EagleBank Arena is set for 2 p.m. Tickets are available via GoMason.com.