LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Scottie Reynolds kept George Mason from pulling off upsets in consecutive days.
Reynolds scored 21 points to lead No. 20 Villanova to an 84-76 victory over the Patriots on Friday night in the Old Spice Classic.
Shane Clark and Malcolm Grant added 13 points apiece for Villanova (4-0), which advanced to Sunday's championship game against North Carolina State.
"Scottie's a sophomore and plays like a senior," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "Malcolm's a freshman and plays like a junior. It's really a credit to these guys. I told them they're going to see at the end of the season this was a good win, when they see how good George Mason is at the end of the year."
George Mason got 25 points from Folarin Campbell. The Patriots (4-1) were looking to open a season with five consecutive wins for the first time in school history.
"I didn't think we were sharp," George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. "We almost looked like we were tired in the first half. And then in the second half, when the game really got in the flow, we looked like we had plenty of energy. So obviously we weren't tired, but we made too many mistakes in the first half to overcome in the second."
This was the first time George Mason has played consecutive games against ranked teams. The Patriots beat No. 18 Kansas State 87-77 Thursday. That win was George Mason's first against a ranked team since beating Connecticut during the school's surprising run to the Final Four two seasons ago.
Reynolds had seven straight points, including a 3-pointer, to help Villanova open a 65-54 advantage with six minutes left.
"Coach always says, 'Shoot 'em up,'" Reynolds said. "If you're a great shooter, you're only going to make half of what you take. That's what I did today."
Reynolds shot 6-of-12 from the floor and 6-for-8 on free throws.
George Mason got within 81-76 on Will Thomas' three-point play with 40 seconds to go. Villanova hit three of four free throws on its next two possessions, while George Mason had a turnover and missed shot over the same period.
Clark's basket helped Villanova extend a four-point halftime lead to 45-35 two minutes into the second half. George Mason responded, keyed by Cam Long's steal and slam, to pull within 49-46 at the 12-minute mark.
Villanova used a 16-4 run to go up 38-34 at intermission. Grant, Clark and Corey Fisher all had 3-pointers during the stretch. The Wildcats were 8-of-18 from 3-point range during the first half.
George Mason fell behind 7-0, but battled back to take a 30-22 lead with 3½ minutes left in the first half. Dre Smith came off the bench and hit three 3s.
Smith and Thomas both finished with 15 points.
Wright coached his 200th game at Villanova. He is 130-70 at the school.
