WASHINGTON - It wasn't one of Gary Forbes's best performances. In fact, the University of Massachusetts senior had an uncharacteristically poor second half last night, the normally reliable guard missing his first seven shots after the break.
Still, with the Minutemen trailing by a point with 3:38 remaining, Forbes made a jumper and drew a foul. Although Forbes missed the free throw, UMass never relinquished its lead, holding on for a 67-63 win over George Washington. Forbes and Ricky Harris led the Minutemen with 20 points apiece.
Forbes is tied with Temple's Dionte Christmas for the Atlantic 10 scoring lead. Each has 610 points in 30 games for a 20.3-point average.
The Minutemen (21-9, 10-6) won their sixth consecutive game and kept alive their hopes of advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998. UMass clinched the third seed and received a first-round bye in this week's conference tournament in Atlantic City.
The Minutemen play on Thursday night against the winner of Charlotte and Rhode Island. UMass defeated Charlotte, 86-79 Jan. 19, and beat URI, 78-76, Feb. 7 in Amherst, Mass., and 98-91 Feb. 21 in Kingston, R.I.
"We didn't play our best," said point guard Chris Lowe, who had 5 points and seven assists. "We didn't play UMass basketball. But we got a W . . . It's good to get over this."
With George Washington (9-17, 5-11) trailing, 66-63, with 11 seconds remaining, Noel Wilmore's 3-point attempt from the left wing grazed off the front rim. Lowe then made one of two free throws as the Minutemen escaped.
It wasn't at all like the Minutemen's last game, a 100-63 victory over La Salle. The margin of that victory concerned UMass coach Travis Ford, who said he wondered if his players would be complacent facing the Colonials, who have struggled all season.
Despite the close game, 35.7 percent shooting from the field and 61.9 percent on free throws, Ford was happy with the victory. The Minutemen made 14 of 30 3-pointers and overcame a sluggish second-half performance.
"I can't say we played our best today, but it was a product of George Washington, too," Ford said. "That's a testament to them. We know we have to play better than this."
Still, Ford said he doesn't believe the Minutemen have to win the conference tournament to make the NCAAs.
"We need to do everything we possibly can to win the [A-10] championship," Ford said. "But I think it's an easy case to talk about UMass [making the NCAAs without winning it] . . . I don't worry about that now, though."
The Colonials played without senior guard Maureece Rice, who was dismissed from the team Thursday after a violation of team rules. After advancing to the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons, George Washington finished 13th in the 14-team A-10 and failed to qualify for the conference tournament.
Afterward, Colonials coach Karl Hobbs had nothing but praise for the Minutemen.
"They have all the pieces you need to win the [conference] tournament," Hobbs said. "They play well together as a team. The key for them is the 5 spot. If they can get production in the middle, they'll be tough to beat."
