The CAA Tournament in Richmond, Va. opened fast and furious with each of the losing teams in the first three games coming within one possession of tying with less than a minute left, but in the end all the higher seeds advanced.
The first game of the day saw George Mason advance to the semifinals after surviving a Drexel comeback from 14 points down. Junior guard Sherrod Wright of the Patriots led all scorers with 23 points. George Mason’s prize for their fortitude is a semifinal showdown with No. 1 seed and CAA Tournament favorite Northeastern, who they have lost to twice this season by an average of 15-points.
In the next game, No. 2 seed Delaware was challenged by No. 7 seed Hofstra, after the Pride closed the first half with a 3 point lead over the match-up favorite Fightin’ Blue Hens. Delaware regained the lead in the second half and was able to hold off Hofstra due to a 12 point, 15 rebound double-double by Jamelle Hagins and a 22 point effort by Devon Saddler.
The Fightin’ Blue Hens will face James Madison, who won a close game over William and Mary, to set up a No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed semifinal on Sunday. The winners in each semifinal will face off on Monday with the CAA title on the line.