VCU tops Geo. Mason, will face Drexel in final

RICHMOND, Va. - Drexel will face a Virginia Commonwealth team that started quickly and then held off a late run to beat George Mason, 74-64, in the Colonial Athletic Association semifinals Sunday at the Richmond Coliseum.

Second-seeded VCU (27-6) will meet the top-seeded Dragons in Monday's 7 p.m. championship game. Drexel earned its berth with a 68-51 win over Old Dominion.

VCU scored the game's first 22 points, led by as many as 28, and saw Mason cut the margin to 66-60 on Andre Cornelius' layup with 30 seconds remaining, but that was the closest the Patriots got.

VCU was led by Bradford Burgess, a 6-foot-6 first-team all-CAA choice who scored 20 points. The Rams shot 11 for 25 from beyond the arc.

Coach Shaka Smart, who guided the Rams to the NCAA Final Four last year, understands the challenge in facing Drexel.

"I thought Drexel last year was the toughest team to score on of any of the teams we played," Smart said. "This year's team is even tougher and more physical."

Drexel won the teams' only meeting this season, a 64-58 home victory on Jan. 8. Smart had special praise for coach Bruiser Flint.

"This year he has them playing so much better offensively," said Smart, whose team beat Drexel, 62-60, in last year's CAA quarterfinal.

- Marc Narducci