George Washington ends VCU streak boosting its postseason hopes

George Washington already had some nice wins on its resume prior to Saturday, but the Colonials injected themselves into the NCAA Tournament discussion in a big way winning on the road at A-10 Conference leader VCU in a 72-69 game that came down to the final possession.

Melvin Johnson had a chance to win the game in the final seconds for VCU, but he airballed a 3-pointer. Kory Billbury grabbed the offensive rebound with two seconds remaining but missed a tying layup attempt. Joe McDonald, who had given George Washington the lead a minute earlier with a 3-pointer, hit a free throw with less than a second remaining for the final point of the game.

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Patricio Garino, a senior from Argentina, led the Colonials with 27 points. McDonald and Tyler Cavanaugh each scored 11 and Cavanaugh pulled down eight rebounds. The Colonials won on the defensive end though by allowing just one made field goal over the final five minutes. VCU had won 12 consecutive games entering Saturday's contest.

George Washington never had won at VCU before in three previous trips. So the victory put the Colonials in a celebratory kind of mood they might not generally allow themselves to experience after other road wins. GW is in the midst of a key part of its schedule and if it can emerge unscathed, it might have a case for inclusion in the NCAA tournament next month as an at-large team.

The Colonials have beaten Davidson and VCU in consecutive games and still have Saint Joseph's and St. Bonaventure to come in the next week.

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There are a few blemishes on George Washington's ledger, but they are countered by a handful of solid victories, including an early season win over Virginia, four other wins over teams from major conferences and Saturday's triumph. At the very least, the Colonials are giving the rest of the nation a reason to pay attention to them down the stretch in the regular season.

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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo