Wright hits 3-pointer in comeback victory
With a 25-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer, George Mason sophomore Sherrod Wright saved the Patriots from a game they were destined to lose.
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After VCU freshman Briante Weber hit one of two free throws with 3.8 seconds left, Ryan Pearson inbounded to Wright who dribbled to well beyond the top of the key and swished his shot with defenders in his face.
After fans stormed the court, an officials review of the play confirmed that it was good and GMU had a 62-61, instant-classic victory over its NCAA Cinderella twin and CAA arch-rival.
On a night when the Rams’ defense gave the Patriots fits, forcing 16 turnovers and 40.7 percent shooting, GMU turned to Wright (11 points), senior forward Pearson (24 points, 11 rebounds) and sophomore Vertrail Vaughns (14 points), who hit four 3-pointers.
It was a frantic, physical game that was low on aesthetics but high on intensity. It was the first of two games in the span of 12 days between GMU (22-6, 14-2) and VCU (22-6, 13-3). The Patriots travel to Richmond for the season finale on Feb. 25. The teams could meet again the following week in the CAA tournament.
It was a contest built for Pearson, a 6-foot-6 throwback who prefers to bang in the low post. After VCU went up 42-34 on back-to-back 3-pointers from junior Troy Daniels (13 points), Pearson went to work inside, scoring on the next three possessions to set the scene for a back-and-forth final nine minutes.
VCU got the edge late as senior Bradford Burgess (13 points) hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the final four minutes. But GMU extended the game with fouls and clutch play on its end. A 3-pointer by Vaughns with four seconds left gave GMU hope before Wright won it.
VCU did everything right at the end, making six straight free throws in the final minute, including four by Weber. Their only mistake was not keeping the ball out of the hands of Wright, who was demoted from the starting lineup in favor of senior Ryan Cornelius last month but has shot brilliantly as an instant-offense reserve.
