George Mason Basketball: VCU eliminates George Mason from the CAA tournament, nation's longest winning streak comes to an end

Sunday, March 06, 2011

VCU eliminates George Mason from the CAA tournament, nation's longest winning streak comes to an end

The VCU Rams have now eliminated George Mason from the CAA tournament for the 5th time since 2004. The Patriots did not look like themselves in this one as the nation's longest winning streak comes to an end at 16 games. The Rams first half defense and barrage of uncontested three-pointers in the first half doomed the Patriots from the start. Mason was frustrated on offense all day long while VCU had an answer for all of their runs. The Rams had 11 three-pointers, one shy of the CAA tournament record and it stunned the Patriots. The frustration reached it's breaking point when Mike Morrison fouled out while hitting Bradford Burgess on a three-point attempt. Burgess sank all three free-throws and Mason looked pretty lifeless after that.

The Patriots inability to penetrate VCU's zone defense resulted in a lot of ill-advised shots. Mason never settled on offense, despite going a few runs in the beginning of the 2nd half. At half time the Rams were clearly beating the Patriots at their own game: three-pointers, forced turnovers, and 13 assists to George Mason's 1. The second half didn't bring much change for the Patriots as they only finished with 8 assists and were engaging in way too many one-on-one battles.

You have to credit VCU's defensive game plan in this one. They prevented the Mason front court from making any kind of contributions early on. Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson were frustrated and both ended up in the foul trouble. Cam Long tried to do too much in the 2nd half and didn't really get any support. It's a shame to finish a CAA season like this without cutting down the nets in Richmond but Mason now has to roll with the punches and prepare for a new challenge.

George Mason now has long week ahead until Selection Sunday where they await their fate in the NCAA tournament. Various experts have penciled them in as a lock for an at-large but it still would have been nice to eliminate any doubt. Don't know how much this loss will affect their seeding, perhaps they might not get that #7 spot we have been seeing recently.

[Pictures via SmugMug]

Labels: CAA Tournament, Post Game Recaps

41 Comments:

Mason guy said...: Everyone deserves a bad game. This team isn't finished. Good luck, go Pats!; 3:08 PM
Scottranda said...: Agree with the Mason guy and look forward to selection Sunday. GMU exceeded my expectation durring the regular season.; 3:32 PM
eric said...: I agree, I think that if you looked closely at this team against Northeastern and GSU in the end of the regular season, you could tell that a loss was going to come. Mason not nearly as many assists as usual and didn't really seem to be aggressive for those games. It was very nice to see the second half fight against GSU in the CAA tournament, but I think this lose will ultimately be a blessing in disguise. This certainly will humble this team and hopefully they can get their heads on straight going into the NCAA and be aggressive. I think they will end up in the 8/9 game as either seed. GO PATS!!; 4:31 PM
Patotobin said...: Just got back home, very... very... dissapointed. This was my concern a few weeks back. If VCU wins this home game advantage tournament, ODU and GMU will have their resume's compared. 3 from the CAA is going to be very hard to do, no matter what our (odu, gmu) RPI's are. NOW, it's time to root for ODU.; 4:42 PM
Gio said...: Saddened by the emphatic loss but at least there is no more pressure of having the longest winning streak in the player's minds. They will have to do some soul-searching and refocusing and prepare for the next opponent quickly. Cam did all he could and he can hold his head up knowing that he ended his CAA play with a respectable 20 pt, 3 reb game. When we beat them on their court the last time out, we dominated them and our shots were going in. It wasn't to be the case this time. Almost a reversal of fortunes, they killed us from the 3 pt line and nothing went our way it seems. They have been our bogey team for a bit now, and we were playing in their backyard. Still, as fans, we know that this is not the real Mason and very rarely do they suffer defeats and have off days like this. I almost feel bad for whoever they face next cause the aggression will be taken out on them. Win or lose....... Go Patriots!!; 5:05 PM
Jaredprebish said...: Did GMU peak too soon? They looked awesome against VCU last month, but since then, merely human.

I've already seen varying viewpoints on GMU's NCAA chances. Their resume really is underwhelming once you take the RPI away. But given the state of the Bubble, it would be hard pressed not to have Mason in the bracket. But it has been a strange year, so who knows...

Not to take away what has been a great season so far. Hopefully it continues...with a four letter word we can all say. But it will still be a long week...; 5:30 PM
Fan said...: I'll defer to those on the blog who know more about basketball than I do (most everyone). What is the takeaway from this loss today for the Patriots? Was it just "we had a bad game" or did this expose some sort of hole that needs attention? My guess is we just had a self-perpetuating cold shooting Patriot squad up against a team that seemed, for a time, to hit everything they threw up toward the hoop. That always ends badly for the cold shooting team.; 6:01 PM
Scottranda said...: Jay Bilas of ESPN tweeted 2 hours ago that Mason is still in the NCAA Tourney dispite loss to VCU.; 6:03 PM
Scottranda said...: Fan, you are analysis is correct!; 6:12 PM
Mooky_l3d said...: I can't agree with giving VCU credit for their defense. The woes that Mason had in the first half were many of their own fault. Dropped open passes, missed open layups, not taking shots that were available and forcing shots that were not there. The largest fault of Mason falls on the shoulders of the coaches. I don't understand why there was a Morrison match up on Skeen. Skeen is an outside/inside threat that will take whatever the D allows. I can't believe that the coaches thought that letting him have so many open looks to take 3s would help win a game. Switching and help D was the downfall because of lackadaisical play. Those woes led to a deficit that was to large to overcome. This to me was not a game that VCU won it was a game that GMU self destructed, gave, or laided down. The local news is saying this was a huge upset and that GMU was looking forward to the NCAA and not taking this game seriously. This is why living in Richmond is hard when we lose to VCU. I am not a closet fan I speak and show my MASON PRIDE. I HATE LEAVING THE COLISEUM AFTER LOSING TO VCU!!!! This game sucked from 8 min. in the first half to the end.

Now I have to say this about the officiating....In no other games during the tourney did another team lose multiple players to fouling out except against VCU. Drexel 3, Mason 2. In the tourney this doesn't look good and has me thinking that the CAA wants to get 3 in one way or another. I am just saying.....; 6:44 PM
Rmjank said...: Sure, there are sour grapes on my dinner plate tonight, but I think this game underscores what has been a travesty in the CAA: always holding the tournament in Richmond. It simply is not fair that one team in the conference always receives home team treatment. Either rotate the tournament site among the teams or find a neutral site.; 6:59 PM
Charlie T said...: There will be a next game and a next year. Since losing is not something any of us are used to it was difficult. I remember losing to Hofstra in 06 and that sick feeling in the stomach and todat was similar but in truth we were outplayed in almost every aspect of the game. Funny thing,as it has been said, we were defeated just like we defeated others. Now the coaches, the fans and most important the players should reflect on the real reward . Which is a bid to the real tournament where we can and will make someone feel just like we feel today. Go Mason.; 7:46 PM
overrated14 said...: Come on Ryan. I would think at some point you would give Cam some credit. Had this been Luke you would have said something like: "despite Luke's 20 point effort to keep Mason in the game....." Cam Long did not "try to do too much." . As he has done all season, he tried to keep Mason in it, turn the tides, and/ or at least stop some of the bleeding. The fact of the matter is-Mason lost. It was an off game. Every team loses at some point. I am very proud of Cam and the rest of the team for not giving up and maintaining an incredible winning streak! Go Mason. Rest and Relax. Get ready for "the Dance."; 7:55 PM
Mooky_l3d said...: Yeah I am glad that Cam showed and he did an impressive job. If he wasn't hittin the shots that Acorn, Luke, and any other no show was supposed to be hittin this would have been really bad!!!!; 7:58 PM
Mooky_l3d said...: I am reading somethings and hearing of some tweets that were posted before the game. One of the Mason players posted that the game was already over. This was locker room material. Then that player didn't do anything but take up space on the court. If you are going to be confident then back it up, don't talk if you don't walk. This is just pissing me off even more when I hear about things like this.

To chalk this game up as just another lose is asinine. Lets be truly realistic this what would have been the only Tournament that Mason could have one. The chances are much greater to win this than the NCAA's. So this is not just another lose like a regular season defeat. This is a missed opportunity. Will most of you be satisfied to have an appearance in the NCAA tourney instead of a CAA championship? I would hate to think that the players would. One or two wins in the tourney doesn't equal a conference tourney championship.; 8:06 PM
gmuhoopsreader said...: I think we all understand the harsh reality of this loss. It's really sad, actually. And, even more so given that going into the tourney with a 17-game win streak would garner all kinds of attention (as we've seen in the media lately). However, amidst the loss I think we learned a lot from this game. And that is this:

We will not beat any teams in the tournament if we start off too slow. Being down by under 10 is one thing, but struggling to make easy shots, making poor pases, making bad decisions, etc., is a sure way to self-destruct in the tourney. That being said, it's a nice wake-up call! Let's pray they learn from it and keep playing at the level we know they are capable of!; 8:33 PM
gmuhoops said...: maybe i'm wrong here but I just felt he forced up a few outside shots that were ill advised. He needed to help settle them down on offense. Sure he was having a productive game but he needed to help some other guys get out of a funk.; 8:57 PM
Kdenton1 said...: Mason could not even get open to catch a pass. VCU D was strong. The zone D shut down the passing lanes. Because of that Mason could not get it going on O. The D caused the mistakes we made.; 10:59 PM
Kdenton1 said...: I think he was trying to spark something. Sometimes it works when the shots fall and sometimes missed shots dig you deeper in the hole.; 11:02 PM
Kdenton1 said...: I want to get out early in the dance like you suggest but to say we won't win if we start out slow has been proven wrong by GMU in the past. We trailed MI State and UNC at the half of each of those games if I am not mistaken. This is a different team, I know, but Mason is without a doubt a second half team this year as they were back then.; 11:05 PM
mlanchap said...: This loss is not the end of the road but the way we lost was a bigger deal. We were terrible at pentrating the 3-2, it looked like we thought we could just swing the ball around and eventually they would be to slow and when that didn't work we shot over it and missed. While VCU was in man-man we had 15 in the paint, why we didn't try to continue inside by penetrating the zone is beyond me. We were bad at the free throw line and we were terrible defending the three. Cam did play well, as a unit they tried to do too much on their own. He was the key to any second half runs. I thought it would be better to enter full of confidence now we have to enter with attitude and make someone else pay for this loss. Funny how in '06 we struggled to beat Ga. St and then lost in the semis, then ran to the 4, this weekend, struggled early, then lost ...; 11:10 PM
gmuhoopsreader said...: That's a good point, Kdenton1. We really have been a second half team this year. It makes me uneasy watching us go into the locker room at half without the lead, but I guess that's how we've been playing.

As much as I loathe 2006 comparisons, facts are facts, and if we did come from behind to upset MI State and UNC, I wouldn't be surprised...; 11:32 PM
Patotobin said...: I think you're a little upset tonight. A sweet 16 in the rafters is MUCH... MUCH better than a CAA championship:); 12:58 AM
Mooky_l3d said...: Man just look at the passes that were dropped in the first half. There were at least 4, then look at the uncontested layup misses in the first half at least 3-4, look at the fast breaks that were missed or lost out of bounds. Those weren't cause by VCU they were caused by lack of focus, butterfingers, or looking to score before they had the ball. Once you get down by a double digit lead to a team that is shooting and hitting open 3's there is no comeback. Especially when Mason didn't even try to drive after 12 min in second half. They didn't look to set up a high low or a cutter through the zone. The only thing they did was rotate the ball and take 3's 2 to 3 feet beyond the arc.; 8:56 AM
Kdenton1 said...: I have to agree on the two passes that just were wiffed. But that about the damn 5 second violation on the inbound pass??? That was 100% VCU D. Mason also just kept passing the ball around the perimiter because they could not get open down low. If I was going to face Mason I would use this game as a guide. Try to press Mason early and use a zone D. Mason was shooting 40' jumpers because they could not get the ball inside. They could not penetrate VCUs D. We will learn from this be better prepped if we see that same game plan in the NCAA T. GO MASON!!!; 10:55 AM
Kdenton1 said...: I am glad we lost because I think it will make us better, but I hoped it would be vs. ODU in the final (how picky,huh?). Now the target is off our back, we can relax, we can coach up what we did wrong vs. VCU, we can get angry that we got beat and put the chip back on our shoulder, we can now start acting like underdogs again, that is what being a Patriot is all about in Mid-March.; 11:13 AM
ByGeorge06 said...: As a fan, I support our team and our players regardless the result knowing they fought hard and gave their best out there. Everybody loses once in a while even the best team in the country. GO MASON! GO CORNELIUS!!!; 11:17 AM
Kdenton1 said...: Did some research.
Mason led MI State at Half
Mason trailed UNC by 7 at the half
Mason trailed UCONN by 9 at the half
Mason led W. State at Half; 11:24 AM
Kdenton1 said...: oh, i almost forgot, SI covers look better when you have a fresh haircut.; 11:30 AM
Brentrg said...: I have enjoyed all these posts. My thoughts: we are certainly a second half team this year. Almost every game, our guys come out so energized and over emotional, but when they settle down, they play ball. Look at the Georgia St. game. We were down 14 at one point and late in the second half were up by 28!! Yes, the VCU game was ugly, but we kept fighting. We just couldn't hit the shots, and it took us out of our game. Let's face it, VCU has our number in the tourney. The stat is that they have knocked us out of the CAA tourney the last FOUR times we lost!!!!! I think this loss will end up being a good thing. I would much rather be an underdog in the NCAA's with something to prove as opposed to be the "sleeper pick." I can't wait to watch these guys in the big dance. Let's see if they can rekindle some magic!; 9:38 PM
overrated14 said...: I love how people show up(30 comments) after a Loss; but rarely during a Win. By the way, no one has said much about Larranaga's coaching. I will. He coached this game just like the others when it should have been different. Mason should have played zone to prevent the 3s. Picks and Screens should have been set to unglue VCU's smothering defense. Too many line up changes. In all fairness, no one could get into any kind of rhythm with all of the in/out substitutions. Oh that's right-Larranaga doesn't like to play zone and Mike Mo and Cam are the only guys who set picks and screens effectively. When there are no plans to counter an opponents smothering defense and smoldering offensive, it's very hard for anyone to get and take good shots; let alone Win. Give credit to VCU-they attacked from start to finish!; 12:10 AM
Airgold10 said...: By the way, Wofford won the auto-bid for their league, so our 1 "bad loss" for the season doesn't look so bad any more. We have a previous win against ODU and if Harvard takes the Ivy league title, we are 2-1 against conference champs.; 4:44 AM
ByGeorge06 said...: Overrated14 - I dont know what it is between you and Larranaga but maybe you should have coached the VCU game and we would have won easily. If you never coached before, please dont make comments like this. It makes you look stupid although I understand your rights of 1st Amendment.; 9:05 AM
overrated14 said...: There is no need to insult my intelligence. At no time in my comments have I suggested that anyone on this site or Larranaga is less than reasonably intelligent; nothing can be more Stupid than to do that. I have coached before but not at the college level. I also played college bball. I have nothing against Larranaga. I just think he could have Tried to done things differently. How is it that he gets ALL of the credit for the team's success but is VOID of Blame when they fail? Come on. By the way, did you watch ODU vs VCU last night. What defense did ODU play? Granted, VCU got outrebounded on the defensive boards but they shot 37% from 3pt. ODU got to the freethrow line more. Could it be that picks were set which allowed guys to drive the lane? Who won the game?; 11:52 AM
ByGeorge06 said...: My apology for the poor choice of words from my previous comment. Larranaga's 15-yr tenure with Mason has been nothing short of excellence for both the school and the MBB program. I believe he deserves more respect then what you gave him. I just think we need to look at the big picture and NOT to be too critical of the results of one or two games. If you think he did not do a good enough job, then who would have? Rob Barnes or Pat Kennedy? A good player can be replaced but a good coach is hard to find!!! I also think your criticism of Larranaga after every loss has been very unreasonable and disrespectful assuming you are also a Mason fan.; 1:28 PM
overrated14 said...: By George06 Oh, so it's okay to criticize players? I'm just calling it as I see it (from a former coach's point of view). What is so negative and disrespectful about looking at other strategies? I did not call Larranaga stupid; nor did I say he is a bad coach; nor did I suggest he needs to be replaced. He gets plenty of respect from me. I have questioned his character-That is Disrespect! My my, you certainly are taking this personally. GO MASON!! Shall we Dance?; 2:19 PM
overrated14 said...: OOPs i meant to say......."I have Never questioned his character....."; 2:22 PM
c hirsch said...: ODU always plays zone, they didn't just decide to do it for the VCU game. They also have the length to play an effective zone, something Mason doesn't really have.; 2:47 PM
ByGeorge06 said...: Personally this is fun and I also realized we could go on and on until the owner of this blog shut us down....Gotta love that Madness...

Nothing personal, knowing that you are a former coach, just didn't agree with your self-righteous criticism of what Larranaga should have and shoud not have done. After all there are good coaches and bad coaches out there.

Have a good day!!!; 3:22 PM
Mason guy said...: Hey guys, it is what it is. They had a bad game, its over. No coach is perfect. Coach L has his style and his system, and he will stick with it. No doubt he will have thought through all this, remember the zone against UNC in 2006? It all depends on match up. we're not going to get Ohio State or Pitt first round...these guys are quite capable of knocking off some teams. But they will have to bring their A game.; 4:46 PM
John G said...: I agree, Kdenton. Many of mason's wins came from one player stepping up and making clutch plays in a time of need. Cam is the natural choice to be the clutch player and he was trying his best to ignite something. Sometimes an ill advised shot that goes in is just the spark that's needed as opposed to passing around the perimeter and forcing a low percentage shot when the clock runs down.; 10:24 PM

VCU eliminates George Mason from the CAA tournament, nation's longest winning streak comes to an end

George Mason Basketball

Sunday, March 06, 2011

VCU eliminates George Mason from the CAA tournament, nation's longest winning streak comes to an end

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