March 6, 2010

Box Score

Richmond, Va. - With seven minutes to play in its CAA Tournament Quarterfinal game against VCU, the George Mason men's basketball team led the Rams by two points and had kept the Rams 3-point attack in check. But things changed in a heartbeat as Brandon Rozzell hit three straight 3-pointers to start a 24-7 run to close the game as VCU beat the Patriots 75-60.

The run started innocently enough with Ed Nixon converting a runner in the lane. Mason's inbound pass found Sherrod Wright on a fastbreak but the ball slipped out of his hand on his layup attempt and the rebound went out far and that set up Rozzell for a transition 3-pointer. He hit another trey on VCU's next possession to make it 59-53. Ryan Pearson answered with a basket but he missed the ensuing free throw and Rozell made it a seven-point game with a 3-pointer with 4:43 to go. Joey Rodriguez added three free throws the next time down and it was a 65-55 game with four minutes to play. Mason got no closer then eight the rest of the way as they were eliminated from the CAA Tournament by VCU for the third time in the past four years and fourth time in the past seven years.

Pearson scored a career-high 22 points for the Patriots on 10 of 12 shooting. He had seven rebounds and two steals as well. Luke Hancock had 11 point and Andre Cornelius had nine. Senior Louis Birdsong came off the bench to have three blocks giving him 100 blocks on his career. Rozzell finished with 14 and Rodriguez had 17 points and five assists. Larry Sanders had 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.

The first half was definitely a half of runs with Mason on the defensive, responding to VCU take seven-point leads. The Rams opened the game with a 13-7 lead but the Patriots scored eight straight to go ahead 15-13. The Rams countered with a 9-0 run to go ahead 22-15 only for Mason to come back and go ahead 27-26. At the break, Mason led 35-32 despite allowing 11 offensive rebounds in the half. VCU held a 19-16 lead on the boards but the Patriots were shooting 48.1 percent while VCU was shooting 35.5 percent. Mason held the Rams to just one field goal in the final 7:20 but four free throws kept the game tight.

The Patriots took their largest lead of the game in the opening minute of the second half, going ahead 39-34. But the Rams hit a pair of 3-pointers to make it a 41-40 game and a Brandon Rozzell baseline jumper gave VCU a 42-41 lead with 13:40 to play. Sanders 18-footer gave the Rams a three-point lead but Ryan Pearson's basket and free throw tied the game. From there the team traded baskets until the big VCU run to close the game.

The last time Mason failed to win a game in the CAA Tournament was 2005 when the Patriots lost to UNC Wilmington in the quarterfinals, 60-47. The Patriots were trying to become the first team since UNCW from 2000-2003 to go to the CAA Championship Game four straight times.