PHILADELPHIA, PA. – The La Salle men's basketball team suffered an 80-75 loss to George Mason in its Atlantic 10 Conference opener at John E. Glaser Arena on Wednesday afternoon, despite leading for more than 34 minutes.

La Salle fell to 4-10 overall on the season and 0-1 in the Atlantic 10 while George Mason improved to 13-1 overall and 1-0 in the league.

Jerome Brewer Jr. delivered a season-best performance with 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, marking his first 20-point effort as an Explorer.

Josiah Harris notched his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds while setting a new career-high with eight made free throws and surpassing 750 career points. 

Jaeden Marshall contributed 14 points, including a season-high four three-pointers, and Rob Dockery finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. 

La Salle opened the contest strong, controlling the tempo and building an early 11-point lead when Brewer Jr. knocked down a jumper to make it 29-18 with just under seven minutes to play in the first half.

The Explorers maintained their advantage throughout the opening frame, heading into halftime with a 42-35 lead.

La Salle managed to hold the advantage until the closing minutes, highlighted by 17 points from Brewer in the second half, but George Mason regained the advantage with just over three minutes to play and held on for the victory.

The Patriots shot 56.5% from the field in the second half and held La Salle to 30.5% from the field in the final 20 minutes.

La Salle returns to action Saturday, Jan. 3, visiting George Washington in Washington, D.C., for another Atlantic 10 matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.