VCU goes back to big dance

(March 9) — George Mason’s win over Towson in the semifinals at this year’s CAA tournament meant the matchup many were hoping for came true in the championship game.

After a thrilling finish in the 2007 final, the Mason-VCU championship Monday night was expected to be another great game.

However, VCU has Eric Maynor (Raeford, N.C./Westover) and he and his teammates were on a mission.

“Two years ago feels like a long time ago to me. To win this one is special,” Maynor said.

The Rams steamrolled past the Patriots, 71-50, to leave no question who the top team in the conference is.

Maynor finished off one of the most special CAA legacies, finishing with a game-high 25 points.

The most impressive thing about the blowout win was the fact that George Mason, the conference’s No. 2 seed, was never really in the game.

After jumping out to a 7-2 lead, the black and gold never looked back, shooting almost 50 percent from the floor for the game, and answering every potential Mason run.

Although Maynor won the tournament’s most outstanding player award, Larry Sanders (Ft. Meyers, Fla./Port St. Lucie) might have been the player of the game.

The 6-10 sophomore finished with 18 points and seven blocks, which is a new CAA tournament record.

He also grabbed 20 rebounds, also a tournament record and was the most dominate player on the floor for all 34 minutes he played.

“My mindset going into the game was to get every rebound,” Sanders said. “I just tried to get my hands on every single one of them.”

The only word VCU coach Anthony Grant could get out as he was asked about Sanders’ dominance was, “Wow”.

The other impressive stat of the evening was the defensive play of VCU.

“I thought our defense was outstanding . our guys weren’t going to be denied tonight,” Grant said.

The Rams held two of Mason’s top players, Darryl Monroe and Cam Long, to only seven points combined. This came after watching them combine for 29 Sunday night against Towson.

Dre Smith was the only player for George Mason who scored more than five points. He poured in 23 and hit five three-pointers.

But Monday night was about VCU, its goal and Eric Maynor’s unbeatable legacy.

After the win, with hundreds of black and gold-clad fans on the court, Maynor cut the remainder of the net down. He put it around his neck and wore it around.

As he got to the press conference, Maynor sat down and jokingly said, “I might wear this thing to sleep.”

Now, the Rams wait until Sunday evening when they will find out their draw for the NCAA tournament.

As they head back to the big dance, they will attempt to shock college basketball, much like they did when a Maynor jumper sealed an upset win over Duke in 2007.

By the Numbers

VCU (24-9)
Sanders 18, Pishchalnikov 4, Maynor 25, Rodriguez 8, Burgess 8, Saintil 0, Rozzell 0, Smith 0, Gwynn 6, Nixon 2. 26 13-17 71. 3-pointers Maynor 2, Rodriguez 2, Burgess 2.

George Mason (22-10)
Monroe 3, Birdsong 3, Smith 23, Long 4, Vaughan 5, Cornelius 0, Henderson 0, Nolan 0, Tate 3, Morrison 4, Pearson 5, Fleming 0. 18 7-14 50. 3-pointers Smith 5, Vaughan 1, Tate 1.