George Mason, Gonzaga aim for automatic NCAA berths

Mar 5, 2007 - 7:00 PM By PA SportsTicker

One year after being the life of college basketball's annual party, George Mason will be hard-pressed to receive a repeat invitation.

The Patriots try to return to the NCAA Tournament on Monday when they face Virginia Commonwealth in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game.

Despite losing in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament last season, George Mason received a highly questioned at-large berth in last year's NCAA Tourney thanks to a 22-6 record.

The rest was history for the Patriots, who reeled off a quartet of upsets as an 11th seed en route to becoming the first "mid-major" program to reach the Final Four since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985.

The honeymoon has been far less sweet for George Mason (18-14), which dropped five of its last seven regular-season games and was seeded sixth in this 12-team tournament.

Over the weekend, the Patriots evoked memories of last March, ousting third-seeded Hofstra in the quarterfinals before upsetting second-seeded Old Dominion in Sunday's semifinals.

Dre Smith scored 19 points for the Patriots, who opened the contest with a 21-8 run and owned a 35-20 lead at the break.

George Mason likely will need another hot start Monday against VCU (26-6), the regular-season conference champion which received a first-round bye.

Gonzaga once was in the same boat as George Mason, searching for national recognition and respect on an annual basis. However, the Bulldogs have emerged as a legitimate program over the last decade, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament eight straight times and nine times since 1995.

The top-seeded Bulldogs aim to return to the "Big Dance" when they face second-seeded Santa Clara in the West Coast Conference Championship game on Monday.

Gonzaga (22-10) has won the WCC tourney each of the last three seasons and has received the conference's automatic bid seven times in the last eight years.

The Bulldogs are led by point guard Derek Raivio, who averages a team-best 17.9 points. The senior scored just 14 points in Sunday's semifinals, but forward David Pendergraft poured in 22 points to lead Gonzaga to an 88-70 rout of San Diego.

Santa Clara (21-9) lost each of its last two regular-season contests to squander the top seed in this event. But the Broncos rolled to a 63-47 triumph over St. Mary's in Sunday's semifinals, limiting the Gaels to just 30 percent (18-of-59) shooting.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference also will crown a champion Monday as second-seeded Niagara squares off with fourth-seeded Siena.

Niagara (21-11) has won its last 10 games and hopes to secure its third berth in the NCAA Tourney. The Purple Eagles last won the MAAC in 2005.

Siena (20-11) is flying high after Sunday's thrilling 86-78 upset of top-seeded Marist in the semifinals. Kenny Hasbrouck scored 26 points for the Saints, who shot 59 percent (31-of-53).