Recap: George Mason vs. Virginia

Fairfax, VA (Sports Network) - Sherrod Wright scored 15 points to lead the George Mason Patriots to a 63-59 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers in the season opener at the Patriot Center.

For the Patriots (1-0), Bryon Allen added 13 points and Johnny Williams finished with 11, as George Mason snagged its first victory over Virginia following six consecutive losses.

Joe Harris led all scorers with 19 points and also grabbed eight rebounds for the Cavaliers (0-1). Akil Mitchell chipped in 11 points and seven boards.

Virginia struggled from the floor in the first half, making just 33.3 percent of its field goals, including only 1-of-9 from three-point range. George Mason connected on 44 percent from the field and nailed 5-of-10 from behind the arc, as it took a 28-25 lead into the break.

The Cavaliers hit on 50 percent of their field goals after intermission, including a strong 7-of-12 from long range. The Patriots shot even better, draining 68.4 percent of their shots in the half. The teams traded leads for much of the second half. After Mitchell dropped in two free throws for the Cavaliers with 1:34 to play to tie the game at 57-57, Allen scored five of the final six points for the Patriots to seal the victory.

Virginia outrebounded George Mason 32-26. The Patriots finished the contest shooting 54.5 percent, while the Cavaliers hit on 40.4 percent from the floor.