FAIRFAX, VA - Graduate student Elijah Buchanan scored 28 points, the most of his six-year NCAA Division I career, but it wasn't enough as the NJIT men's basketball team fell 96-68 to host George Mason on Wednesday evening at EagleBank Arena.

Twenty of Buchanan's 28 came before halftime as the Highlanders led for most of the first half and trailed by just one, 32-31, as the teams went to their respective locker rooms at half time. 

George Mason scored the first four points of the second half to go ahead by five, but an Adam Hess three-pointer got NJIT back within two. 

The two-point margin was as close as the Highlanders were able to get as the Patriots answered Hess' triple with a 9-3 run and led by as many as 17 midway through the half.

NJIT didn't go away without a fight, however, using a pair of three-pointers from Tariq Francis as part of an 11-1 run to cut the deficit to just eight with 3:14 remaining.

George Mason scored the final 10 points of the game to earn the 18-point home victory.

The Patriots shot 63.3% from the field and 63.6% from deep in the second half to take control of the game. 

Buchanan's previous career-high was 26 against Iona as a member of the 2020-21 Manhattan team. He finished Wednesday's game 9-of-15 from the field and 6-of-10 from three-point range. 

Hess shot 3-of-5 from three-point range and finished with 15 points, while Francis also finished in double-figures with 12 and dished out a team-high four assists. 

Ronald Polite III led three Patriots in double figures with 18 points.

The Highlanders return home on Saturday when they host FDU at the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center in Newark. Tip-off is slated for 3:30pm and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.