Another Upset Eludes Patriots
Reynolds Has 21 To Lead Villanova: Villanova 84, George Mason 76

Associated Press
Saturday, November 24, 2007

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Nov. 23 -- Scottie Reynolds kept George Mason from pulling off upsets on consecutive days.

Reynolds scored 21 points to lead No. 20 Villanova to an 84-76 victory over the Patriots on Friday night in the Old Spice Classic.

Shane Clark and Malcolm Grant added 13 points apiece for the Wildcats (3-0), who advanced to Sunday's championship game against North Carolina State.

"Scottie's a sophomore and plays like a senior," Villanova Coach Jay Wright said. "Malcolm's a freshman and plays like a junior. It's really a credit to these guys. I told them they're going to see at the end of the season this was a good win, when they see how good George Mason is at the end of the year."

The Patriots got 25 points from Folarin Campbell. George Mason (4-1) was looking to open a season with five consecutive wins for the first time in school history.

"I didn't think we were sharp," George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga said. "We almost looked like we were tired in the first half. And then in the second half, when the game really got in the flow, we looked like we had plenty of energy. So obviously we weren't tired, but we made too many mistakes in the first half to overcome in the second."

This was the first time George Mason has played consecutive games against ranked teams. The Patriots beat No. 18 Kansas State, 87-77, on Thursday. That win was George Mason's first against a ranked team since beating Connecticut during the school's surprising run to the Final Four two seasons ago.

Reynolds had seven straight points, including a three-pointer, to help Villanova open a 65-54 advantage with six minutes left.

"Coach always says, 'Shoot 'em up,' " Reynolds said. "If you're a great shooter, you're only going to make half of what you take. That's what I did today."

Reynolds shot 6 of 12 from the floor and 6 of 8 on free throws.

George Mason got within 81-76 on Will Thomas's three-point play with 40 seconds to go. Villanova made 3 of 4 free throws on its next two possessions, while the Patriots had a turnover and missed shot over the same period.

Clark's basket helped the Wildcats extend a four-point halftime lead to 45-35 two minutes into the second half. The Patriots responded, keyed by Cam Long's steal and slam, to pull within 49-46 at the 12-minute mark.

Villanova used a 16-4 run to go up 38-34 at intermission. Grant, Clark and Corey Fisher all had three-pointers during the stretch. The Wildcats were 8 of 18 from three-point range during the first half.

George Mason fell behind 7-0 but battled back to take a 30-22 lead with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first half. Dre Smith came off the bench and made three three-pointers.

Smith and Thomas both finished with 15 points.

Wright coached in his 200th game at Villanova. He is 130-70 at the school.