FAIRFAX, Va. – The University of Dayton men's basketball team came back from 11 down in the second half to take a one-point lead, but could not hang on in a 71-67 loss Wednesday night at George Mason.

DaRon Holmes II earned game honors in scoring (26 points) and rebounding (seven).

Dayton, ranked 16th in both the AP and Coaches Polls, is now 21-5 and 11-3 in the A-10.  Mason is now 18-8 and 7-6.

GAME RECAP
1st Half – Dayton 33, George Mason 27
•    DaRon Holmes II opened the scoring with a turnaround jumper 19 seconds into the game.
•    UD went into the first media break (15:11) with a 10-9 lead on an Enoch Cheeks three-pointer.
•    An Isaac Jack layup tied the game at 17 at the second media break (11:41).
•    A Kobe Elvis three-pointer were the only points scored by either team in nearly four minutes, giving UD a 20-17 advantage at the 7:59 mark.
•    The Flyers pushed their lead out to 31-23 four minutes later at the final media break of the half.
•    Neither team scored for almost two minutes, and then both scored a bucket in the final 54 seconds to make the halftime score Dayton, 33, George Mason 27.
2nd Half – George Mason 71, Dayton 67
•    UD scored the first five points of the second half to take an 11-point lead (38-27).
•    After the two teams traded baskets, GMU went on a 24-2 run to lead 53-42 with 9:37 left in the game.
•    The Flyers then went on an 11-0 burst of their own in the next 2:19 to tie the game.
•    Dayton then took its last lead (56-55) on a Javon Bennett three-pointer at the 5:56 mark.
•    GMU hit buckets the next two times down the floor, and UD did not lead again.
•    A pair of Jack free throws cut the deficit to one, and  Holmes hit two to get it to one again.
•    Holmes hit two more freebies to make it a two-point game (67-65) with 1:09 left.
•    A Holmes steal gave Dayton a chance to tie, and after a timeout, his hook shot in traffic rimmed out with 34 seconds left.
•    Dayton got it to two one more time (69=67 with 18 seconds remaining) on an Elvis layup, but Mason iced the game with two more free throws.

BY THE NUMBERS
•    26 -- DaRon Holmes II scored 26 points to lead all scorers. He was the only Dayton player in double digits.  Koby Brea had nine, Enoch Cheeks had eight, Nate Santos had seven, Javon Bennett had six, Isaac Jack had six and Kobe Elvis had five.
•    7 – Holmes was also the game's top rebounder with seven.
•    17 – Dayton had 17 assists on 23 made field goals.  Javon Bennett led with five.
•    24 – George Mason made 24 free throws, the most by a UD opponent this season.  GMU was 24 of 29 from the line, while Dayton was 10 of 14.

UP NEXT
•    Dayton is back home to face Davidson on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
•    Game time is 7 p.m. ET