George Mason capped a successful holiday week by beating South Carolina yesterday to take third-place in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. Will Thomas paced the Patriots with 22 points and 11 rebounds, solidifying his place on the All-Tournament team. George Mason kicked off their tournament with an 87-77 win over 18th-ranked Kansas State. John Vaughan’s 21 points led the team, which put all five starters in double figures. Folarin Campbell’s 25 points made…

Maryland entered this weekend the clear underdog against three opponents with Final Four pedigrees. They left with the trophy, proving that “experience isn’t everything.” Freshman point guard Kristi Toliver scored the team’s final five points in regulation — including a rainbow three-pointer from the right corner over 6-7 Alison Bales that tied the game with six seconds to play — then made the go-ahead free throws in overtime in the Terps’ 78-75 win in last…