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 Luke Harangody had 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead the fifth-seeded Irish (25-7) to their first tournament victory in five years and a meeting Saturday against Washington State, an earlier 71-40 winner over Winthrop.
The 12th-seeded Patriots (23-11) had two starters left from their magical run to the Final Four in 2006, a string of games that showed little guys still can break through and turn March Madness into a true free-for-all for more than just a game or two.
One of those players, Will Thomas, had a great game -- 10-for-14 for 25 points and seven rebounds, and had his head buried in a towel as the clock ran down. But really, this George Mason was nothing like that George Mason, and the first day of the tournament ended with its big-name underdog on the way home.
The Patriots fought hard, but this game really wasn't close.
It got out of hand early, during a 14-minute stretch of the first half in which the Patriots shot 2-for-18 and watched an early 7-6 lead turn into a 29-12 deficit.
They got only one shot on pretty much every trip down. And though they were pesky
-- swatting and slapping the ball away from Notre Dame's post players and rebounders
-- they couldn't come up with loose balls, and wound up giving away too many open 3-pointers and easy layups after ceding their position on defense.
Rob Kurz hit two 3s in a row during the first-half surge. He finished with those six points. Kyle McAlarney, suspended from school last season after getting arrested for marijuana possession, had a solid game
-- 15 points, four assists.
The star, of course, was Harangody, the all-everything Big East player of the year who notched his 18th double-double of the season.
Coach Mike Brey thought Harangody was pressing during a loss to Marquette in a quarterfinal exit from the Big East tournament that left the Irish a bit queasy coming to Denver.
Brey told Harangody to play like himself -- not the way he thought the player of the year was supposed to play
-- and the results spoke for themselves. The Fighting Irish kept alive their string of not losing two in a row all season
-- a string now assured of lasting all year whether they win it all or not.
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Notre Dame also proved it could win in the tournament. The Irish rededicated themselves after a disappointing first-round loss to Winthrop in 2007, the program's first trip to the show since 2003.
Brey said when they arrived to the Pepsi Center on Wednesday, there was a lot less looking around the arena like a bunch of newcomers than there was last year. And indeed, the Irish acted like what they were
-- a team that has been here before.
George Mason has too, of course, but didn't quite play the part.
The other starter from 2006, Folarin Campbell, shot 1-for-12 and finished with four points. The whole team looked winded at times, maybe from the altitude, maybe from trying to go toe-to-toe with a bigger, better team for 40 exhausting minutes.
It was a task the Patriots made look so easy and fun every time they took the court during that magical run in 2006. But not this time around.
[Associated Press; By EDDIE PELLS]
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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