Broadside Sports

By Cody Norman, Staff Writer

The George Mason University baseball team scored 10 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and forced extra innings in the first of a three-game set against the rival James Madison Dukes, but the Patriots were unable to complete the comeback, losing 21-16 on Friday night at Spuhler Field.

The Patriots kicked off Colonial Athletic Association play on Friday afternoon, with a wild start and finish as the two teams combined for 37 runs and 42 hits.

“That was one for the books,” said Head Coach Bill Brown. “I’ve never seen that before.”

JMU took a comfortable 12-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning before a 10-run frame knotted the contest at 12 apiece. Junior right fielder Shane Davis led off the inning with a single before senior catcher Josh Steinberg brought him home with a double to right-center field.

Mason then loaded the bases for sophomore second baseman Brig Tison, who belted his first homerun of the season and closed the gap to 12-7. The Patriots scored another run and reloaded the bases on three walks and a hit by pitch when Steinberg stepped to the plate and crushed a fastball on full count to deep center field.

Neither team pushed across a run in the ninth inning, but the Dukes went on a hitting spree of their own in the top of the 10th inning.

Trevor Knight led off the inning with the go-ahead solo blast, and Matt Browning and David Herbeck followed with a single and a triple to make it a 14-12 ballgame.

After a walk put two runners on the bases, Billy Logan smashed a back-breaking homerun to open the flood gates in route to a nine-run frame.

Mason recorded four of their own in the bottom of the 10th inning, but fell to the Dukes 21-16 in what shaped up to be a wild finish.

The Patriots struggled on the mound in what turned out to be an extremely chilly afternoon.

Senior ace pitcher Kevin Crum lasted just three innings before he was hit in the right arm by a line drive. He allowed seven earned runs before turning the ball over to sophomore Ryan Pfaeffle.

Pfaeffle surrendered five earned runs in five innings of work and both junior Jack Zeltner and senior Darren McLean allowed four earned. Zeltner picked up his first loss of the season for the Patriots.

Senior shortstop Ryan Soares continued his hot hitting this season as he raised his average to .451 with a 3-for-6 effort at the dish.

Tison was 2-for-6 on the afternoon with four RBIs, and Steinberg, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, got the two big hits in the rally. Senior third baseman Mark Hill extended his hitting streak to 14 games when he singled home a run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

The Dukes got an incredible performance at the plate from Knight, Browning and Herbeck. Madison’s two-three-four hitters were a combined 15-for-20 with three home runs and 14 RBIs.

Mason will return to action on Wednesday afternoon as they head to Lynchburg to take on the Liberty Flames at 3 p.m.

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor and Cody Norman, Staff Writer

Streak Snapped at Six
Entering Tuesday afternoon’s contest against the Richmond Spiders, the George Mason University baseball team posted six consecutive victories dating back to their March 2 loss at the hands of the Spiders.

A solo homerun from senior shortstop Ryan Soares followed by a two-out RBI single by senior third baseman Mark Hill gave the Patriots an early advantage, but a fourth-inning homerun off the bat of Billy Barber knotted the game at 2 apiece.

Richmond took the lead for good. Phil Ruzbarsky led off the fifth inning with a solo homerun against sophomore pitcher Ryan Pfaeffle.

Soares, sophomore center fielder Jeremy Haas, junior first baseman Dan Palumbo and senior designated hitter Josh Steinberg each recorded at least two hits for the Patriots, but the team stranded a total of 11 runners on base.

Pfaeffle took the loss and fell to 1-3 on the season while Richmond’s Jared Bard picked up the win in relief, and Barber earned his third save of the season.

Bison Stampede Over Patriots in Doubleheader
The George Mason University softball team took the field against the Howard Bison on Wednesday afternoon for mid-week doubleheaders and dropped both contests to lower their record to 7-9 this season.

A first-inning homerun off the bat of Howard’s Courtney Young gave the Bison an early lead in game one.

The Bison plated three more in the second inning and added another in the third inning before Mason dented the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning. But, by then, the damage was done, and the Patriots fell 6-2 in the opening contest.

Freshman Amanda Buffington threw nearly four innings of scoreless relief as she allowed just one hit while striking out three batters.
In the second game of the afternoon, Howard posted multiple runs in each of the first three innings and jumped out to a 9-0 lead.

Bison pitcher Carly Martin held the Patriots to just three hits and did not allow a runner to advance past second base as Howard headed home with an impressive 9-0 shutout over the Patriots.

Men’s Tennis Tops Howard
Sophomore Jorge Osuna won a crucial second set of his singles match, defeating Devard Wharton of the Howard Bison as the George Mason University men’s tennis team brought its three-game losing streak to an end in the 5-2 win.

With Mason ahead 3-2 in singles and Osuna up a set, the Patriots looked to avoid heading into doubles play tied at 3.

Osuna inched past Wharton 7-5 in the second set, and despite losing the first doubles match, the Patriots took two of three to wrap up their successful day.

Freshman Patrick Mulquin defeated his opponent 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3 singles, and sophomore Greg Donabedian and junior Arjun Sanghvi helped Mason with their singles victories as well.

Mulquin improved to 8-6 on the season, and Donabedian evened up his season record to 7-7.

Donabedian and freshman Devin Leonard paired up as the second doubles team and won their match 8-4, while Mulquin and freshman Sam Coster defeated the Bison’s third doubles team of George Diggs and Brandon Burns, 8-3.

Donabedian and Leonard improved their record to 4-2, winning four of the last five matches.

By John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor

So baseball season is finally in full swing. And softball season is too for that matter. As much as I love sports in general, as well as George Mason University Patriots basketball, I have to say that baseball is my passion.

I have been playing the sport since I was in fifth grade, since I saw my first baseball game. I went to Atlanta for a school competition and found myself in Turner Field, the home of the big league team, decked out in a new home Braves jersey and ready to learn about what would become my team.

I brought the game back home with me and played on those teams that we all remember when there was no competition; we were all playing for fun. Then, I hit middle school and played for my high school’s junior varsity team, where I learned how to play third base.

Aside from all the sexual jokes that come with playing baseball with a team of prepubescent teenagers (don’t worry, this is not “In Bed with Billy”), I loved the team.

My best memories come from the game: the late-night workouts at the gym, the early-morning workouts too, going out to eat before and after games and practices with the team, not to mention the feel of hitting a baseball off the sweet spot of a baseball bat and watching it fly.

My best achievements came through the game, being one of the team’s co-captains and gaining two all-conference awards for my play.

The game got me into journalism too, where I worked on my high school yearbook staff for two years, one as the sports editor, the reason I am the assistant sports editor here at Broadside.

So, here I am in college. I am a coach at my old high school, even working with some of the kids I used to play with. I have been practicing with the club baseball team, one who is just starting up. I even play intramural softball on weekends. Needless to say, when spring has sprung, baseball season is a must for me.

So now, after watching the school’s baseball team, one whose home opener was delayed for too long due to all the terrible weather that we experienced over the winter, I feel like I know enough to be able to have some expectations for the team.

Obviously, the team has lost some of its strongest players, including their big power man. They were nationally ranked last year, but with their losses, that would be a big feat to accomplish for this year’s team.

Senior third baseman Mark Hill has taken the lead of the team. He leads the team with a .493 batting average and is second on the team with a .725 slugging percentage. Statistically, he is the team’s third-worst fielder, only managing a .877 fielding percentage, but his incredible powers with a stick in his hand make him invaluable.

Senior middle infielder Ryan Soares leads the team in power numbers so far. He leads with an .810 slugging percentage, 64 total bases, 32 RBIs, and six home runs. He is also a key defensive player, only making three errors in a team-leading 64 attempts. His large range and strong arm make him a vacuum for balls hit up the middle.

On the pitching side, senior right-handed pitcher Kevin Crum seems to be the go-to starter, going 3-0 with a 5.33 earned run average in six starts. Freshman left-handed pitcher Chris O’Grady has made five appearances, with three starts, and leads the starters with a 3.80 ERA. Sophomore right-
handed pitcher A.J. Johnson has solidified his identity as the team’s closer by getting four saves in eight appearances, maintaining a 0.00 ERA in nine innings.

So here we go, it is time for the conference predictions.

The team currently sits at 1-2 after dropping the final game of the series to the James Madison Dukes over the weekend. They are in second place with a .632 overall win percentage behind the William & Mary Tribe, who has a .667 overall win percentage.

So far, no team has dominated the conference.

The Dukes won the coaches’ preseason poll for the conference championship over the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks, with Mason sitting at sixth place. The Dukes had a slow early start, but have seemed to come into form recently.

Here are the predictions: No. 1 UNC-Wilmington, No. 2 James Madison, No. 3 Old Dominion, and No. 4 Mason. Everyone else can finish behind the Patriots.

It is the best time of the year, so to all of you baseball fans and players, play ball!

By Accaiya Evans, Broadside Correspondent

As the regular season has come to an end, it is evident that freshman forward Luke Hancock has been a vital addition to the George Mason University men’s basketball team.

After posting great numbers coming off the bench, Hancock looks to be a major force in the upcoming Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.

Hancock played in all 32 games of the regular season and started in only three games. However, his sixth-man role play has been a great asset to the success of the Patriots conference play this season.

Off the bench, Hancock leads the freshmen averaging 23 minutes per game, fifth highest on the team.

Hancock was named one of the top 25 freshmen by Basketball Prospectus in January and earned his spot on the CAA All-Rookie Team.

His contribution of 7.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game has been the determining factor in the team’s margin of victory.

Hancock achieved season highs with 15 points against the the George Washington Colonials in early December and grabbed nine rebounds in a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Puerto Rico Tip-off Tournament in November.

With his great court vision, Hancock has been one of the team’s best passers and he has ranked second on the team with 96 assists, one short of the team leader junior guard Cam Long’s record of 97.

A benefactor off the bench, Hancock hopes to play an increasingly vital role in the team’s offense.

According to Hancock, his ability to get the ball to teammates, his versatility and the energy he brings to the court will be crucial to his and the team’s future.

Hancock will use this offseason to tune up his defensive play and work on his long-range shooting.

Hancock’s recruitment was different than most college athletes.

While attending Hargrave Prep School, Mason’s assistant coaches came to see him play. While he impressed the assistant coaches, Hancock felt that his performance in front of Head Coach Jim Larranaga was less than inspiring.

He thought that he did not have a shot at being recruited by Mason, but within two weeks, Hancock received a surprising call from Mason to come on an official visit.

Hancock knew that Mason was where he wanted to be and, after receiving a full scholarship, he committed to Mason the next day.

In his personal time, Hancock loves to watch movies and hang out with his teammates. Aside from being a fan favorite on the court, Hancock sees himself as a key figure in the community.

“I am a good person,” said Hancock. “I like to have fun, but I always try to do the right thing and use discernment in any decision that I make.”
Hancock loves to see the excitement in the eyes of young fans and those who look up to him. He tries to make each experience for them special.

After losing a tough game to the Northeastern Huskies in the regular season finale, a 14-year-old fan named Jayson Garner asked Hancock for his autograph.

However, Hancock took it one step further and got Jayson an autograph of every player on the team.

While it had been a meaningful experience for Jayson, the moment meant a lot to Hancock himself.

Whether he is dishing another assist or signing his John Hancock, Luke has shown his maturity after just one season.

By Fernanda Bartels, Staff Writer

The George Mason University’s men’s volleyball team lost its fifth consecutive match to the Ball State Cardinals in four sets (25-30, 30-27, 22-30, 23-30) last Friday.
With the loss, the Patriots fall to a 4-11 overall record, as the Cardinals improve to 11-7.

Mason fought until the end of every set, but the Ball State offense was playing its best game on Friday night.

The Cardinals hit a season-best .340 and were led by Larry Wrather with 16 kills. Teammate J.D. Gasparovic hit .786 and chipped in 11 kills for the Cardinals.
Although the Patriots were outhit by Ball State, freshman outside hitter Michael Kvidahl had a match-high of 21 kills.

Sophomore middle blocker Lance Rogers was also a key hitter in the match with 10 kills and no errors in 14 attempts.

Sophomore opposite hitter Andrew Dentler had the only double-double for the Patriots with 13 kills and a team-high of 12 digs.

The match was filled with long rallies and great defense from both sides. Ball State had 60 total digs in the match, against 49 from the Patriots.

Mason kept the score close in the beginning of every set, but the team was not able to keep up with the Cardinals throughout the match.

“It was a tough match,” said freshman setter Javier Perez. “The offense started running out pretty well. We were running Kvidahl and Dentler a lot, but towards the third game, we started fading out, fatiguing.”

Despite the fatigue, the Patriots tried to recover their momentum in the fourth set. The score was 15-17 when the referee made a debatable call.

After complaints from Head Coach Fred Chao, the point was replayed. The team gained the momentum back, but it was too late for Mason.

Cardinals outside hitter Lee Meyer stepped up, scoring two important kills to break the Patriots’ momentum. Ball State wrapped up the match in the fourth set in 23-30.

In addition to leading the Cardinals with 16 kills, Wrather recorded 10 digs, and Meyer followed with 14 kills. Anders Nelson posted 12 kills and five blocks.

The Patriots have been trying to get back on the winning track for the past weeks. Despite the loss, the team showed that they had been working towards that common goal even when they were making adjustments.

“We are mixing up lineups,” said Perez. “In these past few weeks we found our identity.”

The Patriots started 3-2 earlier this season, but since then, the team has won just once in its past 10 matches and is on a five-game losing streak, entering Saturday night’s match against the IPFW Mastodons.

Although Mason continues to struggle picking up wins, the team remains competitive for every match.

“We’ve known from the start this year that we were going to be deep,” said senior middle blocker/opposite hitter Ben Nichols. “We are just getting deeper throughout the months. Everyone is progressing. If one person goes down, someone can just step in.”

As new faces in Perez and Kvidahl have been gaining key roles on the team, players such as Nichols and senior libero Luke Maloney try to balance out the court with experience and leadership.

With a variety of quality players available to Chao, the Patriots have the ability to get back on a winning streak for the end of the season.

The Patriots return to the RAC on Apr. 7 in a conference match against the Saint Francis Red Flash.

By Cody Norman, Staff Writer

Duquesne University Dukes catcher Jared Bowser did not get much of a chance to hit the ball after getting hit by a pitch twice as the George Mason University’s baseball team and Dukes totaled seven hit batsmen.

Although the Patriots were responsible for six of them, the team rallied from a four-run deficit to win its home opener 8-4 on Friday afternoon.
Having won 30 of their past 32 games played on Spuhler Field, the Patriots took the field in the home opener against a sliding Dukes team. Mason won its fourth consecutive game, improving to 8-4 on the season, while the Dukes dropped to 3-13 overall.

Senior starting pitcher Kevin Crum took the bump for the Patriots but just did not have his best stuff.

Crum struggled early, allowing three runs in the second inning before settling down and providing Mason with a solid outing. The staff ace allowed four runs in more than six innings, but command issues were apparent as he plunked five batters in the contest.

“[Kevin] competes [on] each and every pitch and you can see as he gets out of there, we’re still in the game even on a day when he didn’t have his best stuff,” said Head Coach Bill Brown.

The Patriots cut their deficit to 4-2 in the sixth inning when senior third baseman Mark Hill, who came into the game with a team-leading .537 batting average, powered home two runs on a blast to the left centerfield.

In the seventh inning, senior shortstop Ryan Soares doubled in a run before freshman designated hitter Anthony Montefusco gave the Patriots their first lead of the afternoon on a two-run single.

Mason added three more in the bottom half of the eighth inning on an RBI double from sophomore second baseman Brig Tison followed by a two-run homerun off the bat of Soares.

“I think we needed a little more energy in the first part of the game,” said Brown. “We went the first 15 outs without having as much as a loud foul ball, but we hung in there. We just kept plugging away at our at-bats and Montefusco had a great at-bat and got us the lead . . . But you’ve got to play all day long. You’ve got to play all 27 outs.”

Mason’s relief unit, consisting of senior Darren McLean and redshirt sophomore AJ Johnson, did not allow a run in nearly three innings as Mason earned the 8-4 come-from-behind victory over the visiting Dukes.

After taking the 5-4 lead through seven innings, the Patriots worked themselves in a bases-loaded situation.

McLean walked the leadoff batter, but got two quick outs on a sacrifice bunt and a flyout. Johnson, the team’s closer, came in and yielded two walks to load the bases. On a 1-1 count, left fielder Matt Carson, who had two hits in the game, flied out to end the inning.

Johnson pitched the ninth inning and gave up a walk and hit a batter to put runners on first and second. With two outs, Johnson was able to get out of the jam with a game-ending flyball.

While pitching was able to prevent runs, the Mason offense came on late in the game. In the first five innings, the Patriots managed only two hits.

Tison had four hits for the Patriots while scoring twice in a solid effort.

Hill continued his hot hitting going 1-for-3 on the afternoon, including his third homerun of the season coming in the sixth inning of Friday’s matchup.
Soares, who added his fourth homerun of the season, cashed in three RBIs, going 2-for-5 on the day.

Sitting at 8-4 in the early part of the 2010 season, Brown is rather pleased with the way his team has performed.

“The first thing you look for is how you’re playing defense,” Brown said. “Hitting comes and goes. If you pitch and you catch the baseball, you’re going to give yourself a chance to win. And we did that today; we made every play we needed to make. And we competed on the mound. It certainly wasn’t our best effort but we competed. And that’s what I’m looking for [early in the season].”

Mason will take the field again on Tuesday afternoon against the Richmond Spiders. The Patriots took a 6-4 loss in the first matchup between the two teams earlier this season.

By Cody Norman, Staff Writer and Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Foster opts to transfer
George Mason University men’s basketball redshirt freshman forward Kevin Foster has decided to transfer to a school near his hometown in Lakeland, Fla.
Foster, who was part of the freshman class with forwards Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison and guard Andre Cornelius, sat out last year while earning the redshirt and played a key role off the bench in the early part of this season.

Foster cashed in 15 points in the Puerto Rico Tip-off, but it wasn’t until the latter half of the season that he was a major player for the team. In last month’s game against the William & Mary Tribe, he shot 11-for-16 from the field and tallied a career-high 22 points; in his first start, Foster had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the Homecoming game.

With a heavily stacked young team, Foster ends his one-year stint, averaging 4.5 points in 26 games.

Outdoor track and field opens 2010 campaign at Mason Quadrangular
The men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted their outdoor season opener at the Mason Quadrangular on Saturday.

With a number of Mason representatives winning their respective events, the men’s team placed second in the meet with 144 points while the women ranked fifth.
Sophomore Kevin Hegel won the high jump while teammate junior David Wellington took second. Sophomore LaVell Handy won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.51 seconds, beating his opponent by .32 seconds. Freshman George Empty placed first in the 400-meter dash in 48.66 seconds, and sophomore Parker Boudreau crossed the finish line in 8:27.26 to win the 3,000-meter run.

The women’s team had two winners in Saturday’s meet. Freshman Mandissa Marshall led off with a mark of 3.8 meters in the pole vault. Seniors Marie Fields and Tiara Swindell took first and second in the 200-meter dash. Fields inched past Swindell by .04 seconds.

Baseball cruises to 17-5 win over the Lancers
The baseball team took the field for the first time in a week on Tuesday afternoon against the Longwood Lancers, but showed no signs of rust in the early going.
Behind solid pitching and an abundance of hitting, the Patriots took a 17-5 victory at Longwood University and improved their record to 6-4 on the year.

After allowing a solo home run to Phil Cerreto in the bottom of the first inning, Mason responded with seven runs and batted around in the second frame. Junior designated hitter Shane Davis completed their scoring run with a two-run homerun.

The third inning was highlighted by RBI singles from freshman outfielder Nick Allen and redshirt sophomore outfielder Jeremy Haas.

Up 12-1 heading into the fifth, the Patriots plated three more runs. Senior shortstop Ryan Soares doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Josh Steinberg before junior catcher Brett Hendricks pushed across Davis and senior third baseman Mark Hill.

The Patriots added one run apiece in the eighth and ninth innings and picked up a convincing victory in Farmville, Va.

Jamison attack not enough as women’s lacrosse falls 9-7 to Colgate
Junior attacker Madalyn Jamison fell one point short of matching her career-high for points in a single game as she racked two goals and four assists, but it was not enough for the women’s lacrosse team (2-4) in their 9-7 loss to the Colgate Raiders (3-4) on Tuesday night at George Mason Stadium.

Junior attacker Callie Hoyt and sophomore attacker Mary Schwartz added two goals apiece, but the Patriots were not able to overcome the two goals and four assists from Raiders midfielder Meghan Lawler.

Senior goalkeeper Sara Longobucco recorded five saves, but only managed one save in the second half.

After trailing 5-3 at halftime, Mason came even at 5-5 with two quick goals within the first two minutes of the second half. The Raiders responded with two goals to bring the lead to 7-5 and they never trailed after that.

The Patriots outshot and produced more ground balls while committing fewer turnovers, but the team was unable to turn the scoring opportunities into points, which wraps up Mason’s six-game homestand with a 2-4 record.

By John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor

So here, in the last column for this season, I will write about the men’s basketball team in retrospect.

The first issue I will address: I was right. It turns out that the terrible Colonial Athletic Association’s postseason tournament performance was the last dagger in the season.

Going to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was not the expected end to the Patriots’ season, especially with a lose in the first round after being the headliner.

Everyone knows that the Mecca of college basketball is the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s 65-team (yes, I count the play-in game) tournament.

But going to the National Invitational Tournament is respectable, and the level of competition is where the mid-major teams flourish.

If anything, the CIT and the College Basketball Invitational are where the strong mid-major schools should rule. I would think that the CAA’s top teams that were snubbed on selection Sunday — Northeastern, William & Mary, VCU and Mason, in that order — would do well in the tournaments they were placed in.

Old Dominion was the only CAA team that did better than expected in their tournament. The first game saw ODU upset the sixth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who fell victim to the normal over-seeding problem.

I sat in ODU home territory, eating shrimp and barbeque in Virginia Beach’s Sea Side Raw Bar, while I watched the team take the game to the wire.

They erased a 14-point deficit from the first few minutes, and eventually found their way, based on strong second-half defense and a big run, into the lead.

Unfortunately, they fell apart at the end and allowed the third-seeded Baylor to go on a late run reminiscent of the run VCU utilized to beat Mason in the second round of the CAA Tournament.

The effort that pushed them to the second round earned my respect for the well-balanced team, but made me wonder why no other CAA school could put anything together for a national postseason win.

Northeastern played on ESPN2 and took the higher-ranked Connecticut Huskies to the wire, but fell by two points. William & Mary was easily beaten, because of their reliance on the 3-pointer, by the higher-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels on ESPN.

The Tar Heels fell apart after gaining a one-seed in last year’s tournament, dropping out of the NCAA Tournament all together. But that is a discussion for another day.

Hofstra lost in the first round of the CBI by 14 points to the IUPUI Jaguars.

VCU was, and is, a team stronger than most in the CBI, and they should have been given a bid to the NIT because of their balanced level of play.

Their last loss of the season — to ODU in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament — was a tight game. Their postseason stock should not have gone down in value only by losing to the CAA regular season and postseason champions. This big-time snub really surprised me.

And finally, most important to those reading this article, Mason lost a 27-point lead with 16 minutes left, and dropped their CIT tournament game to the Fairfield Scags in overtime.

Fans of the CAA now have to rely on VCU to make a big statement in their game against the Charleston Cougars tonight to salvage what respect is left of the conference. There were a few stipulations for Mason’s loss though:
Louis Birdsong, who was Mason’s lone senior, has exhausted his eligibility, but not before taking third place for most games played in school history, and reaching 100 career blocks.

Kevin Foster decided, before the game, to transfer from Mason. After sitting out last season with a non-medical redshirt, the former rookie of the week only had one start this season.

In that game, Foster accrued 13 points and 10 rebounds for his lone career double-double.

Cam Long “was suspended for the game for not meeting team responsibilities,” according to Mason Sports Information Department. No further information was gathered in regard to the nature of said responsibilities.

Barring whatever circumstances cause his suspension, Long still could not help Mason win a game after going on his midseason tear.

He earned an award just a few days ago, gaining a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ First Team All-District 10. I think he should be at the bottom of the list though.

He somehow found a spot on the first team, but his inability to finish the season should have bumped him to the second team.

Long had the power to change games in the middle of the season. The inability to rely on his shooting, as he went near a mere 25 percent field goal shooting over the end of the season, cost Mason a spot in the easier half of the CAA postseason bracket and cost them the chance of a win over VCU in the tournament.
He did not even play in the last game, when his team tallied the 27-point lead, and I do not think he would have had an impact, positive or negative.

So now basketball is over, and spring sports have sprung.

By Cody Norman, Staff Writer

After being rammed by VCU in the quarterfinal round of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, the youthful George Mason University men’s basketball team settled for a postseason appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they took on the Fairfield Scags. And their inexperience showed as the Scags rallied from a 27-point deficit in the second half to oust the Patriots 101-96 in the first round of the CIT.

Though they were without team captain and high-scoring junior guard Cam Long, Mason came out firing on all cylinders and poured in 13 points in the first four minutes of play. They were getting clean looks at the basket on seemingly every possession and took a 24-8 run into halftime with a comfortable 49-20 advantage.

Sophomore forward Mike Morrison set a career high in points with 19 in the first half on 8-for-10 from the field. Morrison pulled down seven rebounds and swatted four shots in an impressive early performance. Sophomore guard Andre Cornelius was on fire as he knocked down 4-of-5 three point attempts for 15 points in the early going while Mason shot a combined 59 percent from the floor.

The second half began in similar fashion as the Patriots stretched their lead to 27 with just over 16 minutes left to play. But the Scags clawed their way back with an incredible shooting performance by Mike Evanovich. The redshirt sophomore, who entered the contest averaging just under seven points per night, torched the Patriots on 9-for-14 from downtown in a 32-point effort.

The Patriots led 63-36 at the 16:08 mark after Cornelius drained one of his six 3-pointers. It seemed Mason was on its way to the next round of the CIT, but five minutes later, the Scags cut the lead to less than 19 points. Evanovich made a 3-pointer with 6:07 left to play, which trimmed the lead to single digits. With just under three minutes to play, freshman forward Luke Hancock made one of two free throws to extend Mason’s lead to 83-73 after Evanovich committed his fourth foul of the game.

The game was all but over as the Scags continued their improbable comeback when Evanovich made a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game with 27 seconds left. After two clutch free throws from sophomore forward Ryan Pearson, Mason held a three-point advantage with 19 seconds left to play. Head Coach Jim Larranaga elected not to foul and send Fairfield to the line. Evanovich made him pay with a game-tying triple with 0.1 seconds left on the clock.

Forward Anthony Johnson scored to give the Scags their first lead of the game to open the overtime period and went on to score 12 of his team’s final 14 points as the Patriots completed their disappointing collapse with a 101-96 loss.

Morrison was hindered by foul trouble in the second half and finished the night with 25 points, nine rebounds and six blocks while Cornelius set a career mark with 28 points and nine rebounds in the contest.

Pearson tossed in 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Junior guard Isaiah Tate added a 14-point, nine-rebound effort, both being career highs for him. Hancock struggled shooting the basketball, but found his teammates for 11 assists in the losing effort.

Johnson torched Mason with 25 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and three steals, and Needham struggled shooting throughout the night, making just five of 18 shots and one of seven 3-pointers, but still managed to put in 21 points.

Finishing the season with a 17-15 overall record, the Patriots look towards next season where they return all but two players.

By Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer

There were certain aspects of each city that were used in making this list. The criteria used in ranking the top sports cities were based on: greatness of each professional team, the dedication of the fans, how the city related to each team and collegiate prestige. The number of championships each team won had only little influence on how each city ranked.

1. New York
Pro teams: Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Giants, Jets and Red Bulls; 43 combined championships.

College(s): St. John’s, Manhattan

New York, by far, has the most team championships, with the Yankees claiming 27 of them. New York is the city with the greatest team of all sports: the Yankees. They have two teams represented in baseball, basketball and football. No other city has that distinction. New York is the biggest media market in the country, and everything a prominent athlete does in this city becomes headline news. New York has fans almost everywhere. You can see a Yankee fan almost anywhere you go. Besides having the most championships, the city has probably the most loyal and passionate fans. The combination of the most championships and a loyal fanbase makes New York the top sports city in America by far.

2. Boston
Pro teams: Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, Patriots and Revolution; 32 combined championships.

College(s): Northeastern, Boston College, Boston University and Harvard

The city lives and dies with its sports teams. Boston’s fans are so passionate about their Red Sox that they are called the Red Sox Nation (compared to New York’s Evil Empire). The Celtics have won the most NBA championships — one more than the Los Angeles Lakers. The Red Sox have been one of the most consistent teams of the last decade with two World Series championships, while the Patriots had their own dynasty, winning three Super Bowls in a four-year period. Boston fans are one of the most passionate groups of fans next to the likes of Philadelphia and New York fans. Plus, Boston is one of the few cities that sees all of their professional teams make the playoffs almost regularly.

3. Philadelphia
Pro teams: Phillies, Flyers, 76ers and Eagles; seven combined championships.

College(s): Villanova, Drexel, St. Joseph’s, Pennsylvania, Temple and La Salle

The City of Brotherly Love probably has the most passionate fans out of the entire list, but certain things tend to hurt the city’s overall perception as a top-tier sports town. Out of all the cities listed, Philadelphia has the fewest championship titles. Besides the lack of titles, the fans are rightfully known for booing and throwing snowballs at Santa, throwing batteries at J.D. Drew and even having a courtroom and jail in Veterans Stadium. All of this shows just how passionate they are. They care about their teams so much that they would do anything possible to stick up for them. It took the city’s teams 25 years to win another title, with the Phillies’ Worls Series win in 2008, and the fans rejoiced for days. The city also boasts several elite college athletic programs, while some cities do not even have one. Overall, the fans are by far the best in sports and their teams are
always competitive.

4. Chicago
Pro teams: Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Bulls, Bears and Fire; 15 combined championships.

College(s): Northwestern

Chicago has been home to both celebrations and heartbreak. The city idolizes people like Michael Jordan and Mike Ditka for leading the Bulls and Bears, respectively, to the promise land. They have had two baseball teams that seem to be ultimately cursed, until the White Sox won the World Series in 2005 while the beloved Cubs continue to wait for their shot. The city also has one of the original six NHL in the Blackhawks. The city is even fortunate enough to have “The Super Fans,” which was a very popular Saturday Night Live skit in the late 1980s. The fans live and die with their teams, but also sometimes forget they have another team besides the Cubs playing baseball.

5. Los Angeles
Pro teams: Angels, Dodgers, Kings, Clippers, Lakers, Sparks and Galaxy; 27 combined championships.

College(s): USC, UCLA

Los Angeles has two of the greatest teams in their respective sports in the Lakers and Dodgers. The city also has two premier colleges, with top-tier athletic departments that have won over 100 combined championships. Most Los Angeles sports teams’ fanbase is made up of celebrities and the rest of the city’s fans are not overwhelmingly enthusiastic about their teams, besides the Lakers, Dodgers and Angels. Plus, even the enthusiastic fans do not compare to the other cities on the list.