Mason’s Magic Slips Away
For 38 minutes Monday night, the George Mason Patriots did what they needed to do to complete their improbable four-game run through the Colonial Athletic Association and make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

They lost it all in 14 seconds.

That’s how long it took for Virginia Commonwealth’s Eric Maynor to steal the ball from Dre Smith, drive downcourt, hit a layup while getting fouled by Gabe Norwood, steal the ball from Norwood as he brought it up court, and hit another layup. A five-point lead – with the ball – had disappeared for Mason. After Folarin Campbell missed a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down, Maynor went to work again, getting the roll on an off-balance runner over Darryl Monroe and giving the Rams a 59-57 lead with 45 seconds remaining.

Campbell had a tough layup blocked out of bounds on the ensuing Mason possession. Smith missed a good look at a triple with 20 ticks left, and Monroe was called for an intentional foul for grabbing Maynor’s jersey on the rebound. Maynor hit both free throws to extend the lead to four, and B.A. Walker added another pair with Mason forced to foul to get the ball back, and VCU hung on for a 65-59 win.

The stunning loss provided a bitter end to a sensational weekend for the Patriots, who entered Monday night’s championship playing confidently after convincing wins over James Madison, Hofstra, and Old Dominion in the first three rounds of the tournament. But Mason needed the automatic bid that comes with winning the conference tournament to make the Big Dance, and they fell 14 seconds short. Campbell and Smith were named to the all-tournament team.
-Hayden Alfano