No. 9 seed Villanova leads No. 8 seed George Mason 45-42 with 9:33 remaining in the second half of their second round game of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Villanova had control of the game at the half, but they have been unable keep their foot on the gas pedal in the second half. Villanova has scored just 10 points so far in the second half. If they had come out of the locker room and hit a couple shots like the did in the first half, this game might have been over already. But They have given George Mason a little bit of confidence by letting them stay in the game, and that could come back to bight them in the end.
One of the biggest differences between the first half and the second half is that Mason seems to be getting to all the loose balls. I'm not sure if it is increased effort or if the ball is just bouncing their way, but they are winning that battle so far this half. They are also playing a lot better on the defensive end and have made the shots that were open for 'Nova in the first half much more difficult.
Mason still does not have the lead, but they are closing in on Villanova and they have all the momentum at this point. Even though they are the higher seed, this one just feels like an upset in the making for some reason. If Mason can keep up that underdog mentality that seems to be fueling them, they have a pretty good shot in this one.
Make sure to check out or main 2011 NCAA Tournament stream for information on all the games, and check out our updated printable bracket which reflects yesterday's action.