Regional Final [3/26/06]

Washington, D.C. Region – Regional Final: No. 11 George Mason is headed to the Final Four with an 86-84 overtime win over No. 1 Connecticut, marking the first time in nearly three decades that a mid-major is going to the Final Four. At one point in the first half, the Patriots (27-7) looked to be in real trouble as they trailed by 12. The rally was keyed by six consecutive three-pointers, on which they were 9-18 for the game. With 5.5 seconds left in regulation and the Patriots leading by two, Patriot guard Tony Skinn missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the Huskies raced the ball up the court and got it to Denham Brown, who drove the baseline and put in a reverse layup that bounced on the rim a couple of times just before time expired, sending the game to overtime. The Patriots never trailed in the extra session, where Will Thomas (19 points, 12 rebounds) scored five points, and Brown couldn’t be the hero again as he missed a three-pointer as time expired that would have given the Huskies the win. Jai Lewis scored 22 points as all five Patriot starters reached double figures, with Lamar Butler adding 19, Folarin Campbell 15 and Skinn 10. Connecticut (30-4) was led by 20 points from Rudy Gay and 17 points and eight rebounds from freshman Jeff Adrien. [3/26/06]