Next Stop: NCAA Tournament

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett
Photos by Broadside Photographer Mahmoud Lababidi

RICHMOND – Cinderella’s last-second magic potion seemed to vanish from the William & Mary Tribe after they entered the locker room just moments after cutting George Mason’s lead to one point.

Instead, that magic went back to a locker room that knows every little bit about March magic.

• SENIORS RISE: Now it's Campbell and Thomas' turn to lead the Patriots.

The George Mason Patriots (23-10) used a 9-0 run to open the second half and captured their first CAA championship since 2001 with a 68-59 victory before 9,122 Monday night at the Richmond Coliseum.

“It caps off this senior class, that’s all we wanted,” said Will Thomas, who scored 18 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team. “This is what we came here to do: win the championship and get to the NCAA tournament.”

That this group of players did. On a night when the attention was on upset-minded William & Mary’s (17-16) bid to defeat the two teams predicted to finish in the top spots in the conference (GMU and VCU), the Patriots used the extra day of rest to their full advantage.

“They had to play four straight days, you lose your legs a little bit as the game wears on,” George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said.

The Tribe made things interesting at the end of the first half when Laimis Kisielius made a jumper right before time ran out to cut Mason’s lead to 27-26.

Then, the second half began. Folarin Campbell hit a 3-pointer that capped off a half-opening 9-0 run that gave Mason a double-digit lead and a working margin that would hold for the remainder of the game.

“It put us in a tough spot because they’re so explosive offensively. We needed, if possible, to play in the lead today,” William & Mary coach Tony Shaver said. “Our legs weren’t completely with us tonight and it’s tough to come from behind in the fourth day. It was very difficult to play from behind tonight.”

Though the Tribe were tired and worn down, the Patriots still had to focus on what was emphasized the entire tournament.

“We came here with the mindset that it really isn’t all about the offense. It’s so important that your defense be your consistent part of your game,” Larranaga said.

Campbell, who was named tournament most outstanding player, scored a team-high 20 points and hit 9 of 10 from the free throw line.

Kisielius led all scorers with 22 points. David Schneider added 12 for the Tribe.