The George Mason men's basketball team had confronted barely any adversity over the past month, blazing its way through the Colonial Athletic Association and stirring memories of its special run five years ago. The Patriots not only had been untouchable at home all season, they hadn't trailed for more than a few minutes here and there.

So when it fell behind James Madison by a dozen points in the first half Saturday, George Mason was faced with a curious hardship.

These days, though, nothing fazes the Patriots.

Mason turned to its bench to restore order, then leaned on the veterans in the second half and wore down the Dukes, 82-68, tying the program record for consecutive victories (11) and claiming sole possession of first place in the CAA with three league games remaining.

Mason (21-5, 13-2) moved a game ahead of Virginia Commonwealth, which lost to Old Dominion, 70-59, a result that ended the nation's fourth-longest home winning streak at 22.

The Patriots will travel to Richmond on Tuesday to face the Rams (20-7, 12-3). Because it's their only meeting, the winner will hold the tiebreaker if they should finish even at the end of the regular season.

"They're dynamite. They're the class of the league," Dukes Coach Matt Brady said of the Patriots. "They're a team that can be really dangerous in March, and I don't mean in Richmond [for the CAA tournament]. I mean on the national landscape. There's no reason why this team can't make a lot of noise."

With top-ranked Ohio State losing for the first time Saturday, Mason now has the second-longest winning streak in the country behind Coastal Carolina (22).

The Patriots also remained perfect at home, earning their 13th straight victory before an announced sellout of 9,840. They defeated the Dukes for the eighth consecutive time in Fairfax and for the 15th time in the past 16 meetings overall - but not without an early struggle and a late scare.

Ryan Pearson had 15 points as Mason equaled the 1984 squad's winning streak. Devon Moore and Julius Wells led the Dukes (18-9, 8-7) with 14 points apiece, but leading scorer Denzel Bowles (18.2 points per game) managed just two in the second half - and 12 overall - against Mason's Mike Morrison, who complemented his defensive work with nine points, nine rebounds and a game-high five assists.

It didn't start well for the Patriots, who were afflicted with the same problems - sloppy passing, poor shot selection, air balls - that got them into trouble last weekend against Old Dominion. Utilizing their three-point shooting and the 6-foot-10 Bowles's inside presence, the Dukes built a 21-9 lead, Mason's largest deficit at home this season.

"In the beginning, once again, we wanted to come out of the blocks fast and we tried so hard, we were too excited," Pearson said. "What we had to do was calm down."

As the tempo increased, so did the Patriots' effectiveness. Freshman Vertrail Vaughns (12 points) and sophomore Johnny Williams triggered the comeback, combining for 15 straight points.

Vaughns, whose defensive shortcomings had kept him out of the regular rotation since December, made 3 of 4 three-pointers while Williams worked inside for all seven of his points, matching a season high.

"Just knowing the team wanted me to have the ball is a great thing," Vaughns said. "It's a fun atmosphere."

Andre Cornelius's steal, layup and free throw put the Patriots ahead for good late in the first half. Leading by five early in the second period and the tempo at its liking, Mason scored seven straight.

The Dukes pulled within seven with 51/2 minutes left and seemed primed to make a late run, but "I don't know if we could've played any dumber," Brady said. "We shot poorly and drove the ball into guys."

JMU shot 28.1 percent in the second half and was called for six offensive charges overall. The Patriots made 11 of 12 free throws in the last three minutes to secure the outcome.