Lee's threes help Drexel to win over George Mason

THE PATTERN for this game was set by the first media timeout on ESPNU. Drexel and George Mason had combined for seven missed shots, two turnovers and two made free throws. The defense was even more crazed than the jammed-in DAC crowd. Offensive players were nudged, shoved and sometimes assaulted. A good shot was one that did not get blocked. Any team that could get a point per minute seemed like it would dominate.

Just when it looked like the team that had the ball last would lose, Drexel freshman Damion Lee, from Baltimore, went off in the final minutes, hitting one big shot after another. He simply could not miss, scoring 13 consecutive points for the Dragons - a layup, a short jumper, then three straight treys in 100 seconds and almost one crazy long three at the shot-clock buzzer as Drexel went from two points behind when the trey barrage began to five in front. Lee finished with a season-high-tying 21 and the Dragons needed them all in their 60-53 win last night.

Did he think he was going to miss?

"I guess the basketball gods were on my side today," Lee said.

Did he think that last one was going in?

"Oh, yes."

That rimmed out, but the damage had been done.

"After I hit the two [threes], I was thinking just get the ball again and shoot it because I felt hot," Lee said. "I knew that if we get the crowd involved, it would be harder for them to score."

The crowd, loud all game, got silly loud after the third trey went down.

"When I was on my visit to schools, Drexel, hands down, has the best crowd in the CAA," Lee said.

Mason had won 10 of 12 and a Colonial-record 18 straight league games dating to last season. Drexel had won eight of nine. This game was important for Mason's streak, critical to the Dragons' season. A loss would have put them three games behind the Patriots after just five games, with no rematch.

Time after time, Drexel seemed to have an opening near the rim in the first half and then out of nowhere came GMU freshman Erik Copes (Imhotep Charter) to spike the shot. The nephew of Patriots assistant Roland Houston (formerly at La Salle and George Washington and a Philly guy himself) had an insane seven blocks - in the first half. As Copes blasted the seventh shot, Houston tried to stifle a laugh on the bench, but could not.

Drexel trailed only 27-22 at the half despite shooting 32.1 percent. The Patriots shot a solid 45.8 percent.