John Feinstein: After Scary Moment, Vaughan Pulls Through for GMU

In an instant, a midweek January basketball game went from fun and competitive to terrifying.

On Jan. 21, George Mason and Northeastern were playing a key Colonial Athletic Association game in Boston when the Patriots' John Vaughan caught an accidental elbow to the head from Northeastern's Eugene Spates while jockeying for a rebound. Vaughan went down for a moment and felt a knee hit him again. He lay there for a few seconds before being helped up by teammate Cam Long.

"I didn't know it at the time, but the doctor told me later that I blacked out for a second when I was on the floor," Vaughan, the Patriots' fifth-year senior guard and unquestioned leader, said one afternoon last week. "When Cam helped me up, I knew something was wrong because everything was spinning. By then though, we were walking to the other end because they were going to shoot free throws.

"It's funny, I took a lot of hard hits when I played football, and I've gotten hit in basketball, too, but nothing like this. It was just one of those things where he caught me in a very bad spot."

Once he saw Vaughan get up, George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga didn't think much of it. Trainer Debi Corbatto wasn't that concerned either, but kept her eye on Vaughan.

By the time he reached his rebounding spot for the free throw, Vaughan knew he needed to come out of the game because he couldn't see straight.

"I turned to the bench to let Coach L know I needed to come out," he said. "I didn't want to, but staying in wouldn't have been good for the team. But he had his back turned talking to the coaches, so he didn't see me."

Larranaga had in fact turned to ask his coaches if they thought he should call a timeout after the free throws -- George Mason would be trailing 56-51 with 2 minutes 16 seconds left to play if Nkem Ojougboh made both shots -- or just call a play.

"I didn't see the first free throw, but I knew from the crowd reaction it had gone in," Larranaga said. "The next thing I saw was Debi running by me in the direction of the court."

Returning to his spot after boxing out the shooter, Vaughan collapsed.

"I just remember feeling completely dizzy and thinking, 'You're going down,' " he said. "The next thing I remember is Miss Debi talking to me."

Corbatto got to Vaughan in seconds. Larranaga was still standing by the bench not sure what had happened when one of the officials came over and said, "Coach, you better get out here."