FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University made 24 of 29 free throws in the second half to overcome a 19.1 percent shooting performance after the break to edge visiting Loyola University Maryland, 65-61, on Tuesday night at EagleBank Arena.
 
KaVaughn Scott scored five-straight points to give the Greyhounds (2-3 overall) a 44-40 lead with 11:27 left in regulation, but the Patriots (5-0) scored the next six points, all on free throws, to take a two-point lead.
 
A Brent Holcombe reverse layup tied the game again, 46-46, with just over eight minutes to play, but three more free throws over the next two minutes gave George Mason a three-point advantage. Andrew Kostecka scored in the paint at 6:21 to cut the Greyhounds' deficit to one before Jordan Miller knocked down a 3-pointer for the Patriots at 5:21, their first made field goal in nearly nine minutes.
 
George Mason made just one more field goal for the rest of the game, but it made 11 free throws in the last four minutes to hold off the Greyhounds.
 
Holcombe, who had first double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds, cut the Patriots' lead to one, on a layup with 59 seconds left. On the next possession, two offensive rebounds by George Mason led to Miller going to the charity stripe where he converted two with 26 ticks on the clock.
 
Loyola missed a three next time down the court; Xavier Johnson pulled down the rebound for George Mason, drawing a foul before going to the line to hit two shots for a four-point Patriots lead.
 
Cam Spencer knocked down a three from the right wing with just over eight seconds left, drawing Loyola back within two, 63-61, but two Miller free throws sealed the Patriots' win.
 
Andrew Kostecka led Loyola with 20, scoring 15 after halftime, for his 25^th career game with 20 or more points. Holcombe's double-double was the fourth of his career and came in a career-high 31 minutes of action; he also had three blocked shots to match his career-high.
 
Spencer added 11 points, while Scott had nine. Golden Dike grabbed seven rebounds to go with six points and a game-best five assists.
 
Miller made 11 of 13 free throws and scored 23 to pace George Mason, while A.J. Wilson was 8 of 12 and had 12 total. Javon Greene scored 10 and had a double-double with 11 rebounds.
 
Loyola outshot the Patriots 46.3 to 27.6 percent from the field as George Mason made just 16 of 58, 6 of 31 after halftime. The Greyhounds also had 36 points in the paint to the Patriots' six.
 
After a six-day break, Loyola returns to the court for a pair of games in Omaha, Nebraska, where they will face IUPUI on Monday, November 25, in the first game of the Cayman Islands Classic Mainland Bracket at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.