Erik Copes sinks game-winner against William & Mary

Erik Copes was one of the last guys on the floor you want taking a game-winning shot with little time left. However, the big man found the ball in his hands with the seconds ticking away and connected to give Mason the much needed home victory. Minutes earlier Copes had air-balled a free-throw so the Patriots were a little lucky to come away with the win in this one. Patrick Holloway was another hero as his 15 points and three-pointers helped fill the void of an off day from the starters. Mason had trouble all day with William and Mary's shooters and Marcus Thornton hit six three-pointers. Late the game they put Anali Okoloji on Thornton and his size seemed to give him trouble. The Tribe went cold from the perimeter and the Patriots made a big comeback.

Mason avoided losing four straight home games for the first time since 1995. They now have a chance to continue this momentum onto the CAA tournament. They also now have a chance to grab the more ideal spot in bracket in that 2 versus 3 game. It was very encouraging to see them come back when they essentially looked dead in the water during parts of the second half. It would have been better to watch them do a better job against the Tribe's perimeter shooting attack but they still found a way to win. Bryon Allen getting to the line played a big role since Sherrod Wright had a bad day shooting from the field.

Big difference between this game and the Georgia State one was that they made an adjustment and didn't give up in the second half. A game like this one is similar to what will happen in the CAA tournament and a lot times who wants it more is what decides the outcome.

[Photo by John Powell]

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