VCU, Not George Mason, Headed to NCAAs

George Mason guard Gabe Norwood (3) blocks the shot of Virginia Commonwealth guard Eric Maynor (3) during a Colonial Athletic Association championship college basketball game, Monday, March 5, 2007, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) (Steve Helber - AP)

RICHMOND, Va. -- George Mason was 2 minutes from another trip to the NCAA tournament, when Eric Maynor and Virginia Commonwealth stole it away.

Maynor made two big steals in a row and scored nine straight points down the stretch, sending the top-seeded Rams to the NCAA tournament with a 65-59 victory in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game Monday night.

With one wild rally, VCU did what those big-conference powerhouses couldn't last year _ knock off George Mason in March.

"What Mason did last year was special," first-year Rams coach Anthony Grant said. "I don't think anybody on our team right now is trying to duplicate or be what George Mason was. I think we're content being VCU and who we are, and we're going to make our own way."

The underdog Patriots made a captivating run in the NCAAs last season from at-large entry to the Final Four, beating traditional powers Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut before losing to eventual national champion Florida in the semifinals.

After losing several key players from last year's team, George Mason made another improbable push this postseason _ winning three games in three days as the No. 6 seed in the CAA tourney. But the ride finally ended when the Patriots squandered a five-point lead in the last 2 minutes against VCU.

With an 18-15 record, George Mason has virtually no chance of receiving another at-large bid to the field of 65 when the NCAA brackets are announced Sunday.

"For about 36 minutes, we were in control of the game," George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. "Then Eric Maynor stepped up and made huge defensive plays and converted those into layups. He proved tonight that he's a big-time player."

Maynor stripped Dre Smith, scored on a layup and was fouled. He finished the three-point play with 1:55 left to cut George Mason's lead to two. He stole the ball again on the next possession and made a layup to tie it with 1:46 to go, then followed a miss by the Patriots by driving and making a leaner over Darryl Monroe with 46.5 seconds to play.

After the Rams' Wil Fameni swatted away a shot by Folarin Campbell, Maynor rebounded a missed 3-pointer and was intentionally fouled with 19.1 seconds left. He made both free throws, giving the Rams a 61-57 lead.

"All throughout the year, different guys stepped up on different nights," Maynor said. "Tonight was my night."

The Rams (27-6) earned their first berth in the NCAA tournament since they won the CAA title in 2004, also with a victory against the Patriots. They did it this time under the 40-year-old Grant, an assistant with Florida last season.