Maynor, Sanders help VCU rout Mason in CAA title game

At the start of the season I didn't think we could reach this game but somehow the Patriots got it together at certain times to make it happen. A loss to VCU always stings, especially on national TV with an auto-bid to the dance on the line. It wasn't even the fact that Mason lost to a better team, but rather how they lost. Gomason.com trys to say in their headlines that Mason "fell short", but anyone who watched that game knows that was an old fashion butt kicking. VCU controlled the game from the opening tip and the Patriots never had a chance. VCU looked confident and they felt like they could do anything, while the Patriots looked like a deer in headlights for most of the 1st half. Standing and watching in awe as Larry Sanders owned the paint and Eric Maynor was left to run wild. The fact that Larry Sanders was 3 blocked shots away from a triple-double is just embarassing for a team that prides itself on strong defense. Sanders had 13 rebounds in the first half, which really tells the story right there. You knew Maynor was going to get his 20+ points, but containing Sanders and not letting him get those easy dunks was something that should have been a point of emphasis. Mike Morrison stood up to Sanders in the 1st half but it didn't seem like anyone else was up to the task. Monroe and Birdsong combined for 6 points and it wasn't even because they were in foul trouble. Cam Long and JV were just non-factors and helped the Patriots collectively shoot a season-worst 30.5%. Dre Smith's box score might look good but it was mostly threes made in the 2nd half when the game was far out of reach. Once the 2nd half began you thought a small comeback might happen, as the Patriots have been in this position many times before on the road. Instead we saw about five minutes go by without a field goal and Mason actually looked worse. VCU was determined last night and I don't think there was any way Mason could have beaten them even with shots falling. Don't get discouraged, the future is bright and we all know that.

Post Game Video from caacourtside.com:


NIT hopes:
Looking good, a few websites have us at a #5 seed, which means a home game could be possible if they win in the first round of the tournament. My sophomore year I was lucky enough to see the Patriots beat Tennessee at the Patriot Center in the NIT and I'd love to see another BCS school come to Fairfax in March. It all depends on how the rest of these conferences tournaments end and how the bubble teams get placed.