Raucous RAC lifts men's basketball to 73-66 win over Santa Clara, forcing game three on Friday

Corey Edwards drives baseline against Santa Clara on Wednesday night at the RAC (Photo by Hannah Kreider).

In front of a capacity crowd of 1,280 in the bandbox RAC Gym, the George Mason University men's basketball team fed off the electric atmosphere en route to a 73-66 victory to force game three at the Patriot Center on Friday. 

Junior guard Sherrod Wright got back on track after scoring only three points in the first game of the CBI Tournament finals, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Wright earned 17 trips to the free throw line, capitalizing on 11 of them.

The intimate feel of the RAC created a deafening roar among those in attendance and had a major effect on the outcome of the game. The Broncos were forced into seven first-half turnovers due in part to not just the crowd but also the stifling Patriots' full-court pressure.

Bryon Allen continued his streaky play turning in 15 points, four assists and two steals, justifying coach Paul Hewitt's praise of him as being "the best player on our team overall, right now". Allen's athleticism was prominent throughout the game, accelerating down the court, eluding defenders and spreading the floor. Along with Corey Edwards, the two Patriot guards helped attribute to Mason's 12 fastbreak points.

Santa Clara struggled to find their rhythm early especially with their star guard Kevin Foster, who scored 28 points in the first game, being held to two points in the first half. Foster rebounded in the second half, leading the Broncos' scoring with a total 16 points. Marc Trasolini added 13 points and seven rebounds for Santa Clara, who  

The winner-take-all Game 3 of the CBI Finals will be held on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Patriot Center.