With their backs against the wall, the George Mason Patriots pulled out a 73-66 win Wednesday night at home over Santa Clara in Game 2 of the College Basketball Invitational.
CBI Tournament 2013 results: George Mason forces a 3rd game with win over Santa Clara
George Mason dropped Game 1 of the CBI on the road, but Sherrod Wright and Bryon Allen ensured their season wouldn’t end Wednesday, leading the Patriots to victory.
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The Broncos took the first game at Santa Clara, but the Patriots got even on Wednesday behind the backcourt duo of Sherrod Wright and Bryon Allen. Wright did most of his scoring form the foul line, shooting 11-of-17 to contribute to his 20 points. The 6'4 guard also grabbed a team-high ten rebounds for a double-double. Allen had 15 points and four assists.
And while the final margin was only seven, the Patriots led the entire night. George Mason jumped out to leads of 8-1, 17-9 and 31-17 before eventually going up 39-26 at halftime.
The Broncos did their best to climb back into the game after intermission, scoring the first seven points of the second half, fueled by a Kevin Foster three. But after trading baskets for a few minutes, the Patriots answered with a 9-2 run to reclaim a double-digit lead.
Foster had 16 points to lead the Broncos, but he was just 2-of-10 from beyond the arc. Santa Clara shot just 20 percent from three all night.
With the CBI championship series now tied at a game apiece, the Broncos and Patriots will play a decisive Game 3 Friday at 7 p.m. ET at George Mason.
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