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Dayton holds off George Mason 56-55

Dec 9, 2009 - 2:49 AM FAIRFAX, Va.(AP) -- Chris Johnson had 14 points and Dayton held off a furious second-half rally by George Mason in a 56-55 win on Tuesday night.

The loss snapped an 18-game home winning streak for the Patriots (4-5), who last suffered a home loss on Feb. 16, 2008, to North Carolina-Wilmington.

The Flyers (6-2) won their fourth straight game.

After a 3-pointer by Andre Cornelius brought George Mason within 54-52 with 8.7 seconds remaining, Johnson hit two free throws to make it 56-52 with 7.3 seconds left.

Sherrod Wright, who led George Mason with 17 points, hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin.

Dayton took a 35-19 halftime advantage after holding the Patriots without a field goal for 14:31 until Mike Morrison's layup just before halftime.

George Mason then used a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 39-34, but could get no closer than two points.