RICHMOND, Va. -- With a wild rally in the final two minutes, Virginia Commonwealth did what all those big-conference powerhouses couldn't last year -- knock off George Mason in March.

Eric Maynor made two big steals in a row and scored nine consecutive points down the stretch, sending the top-seeded Rams to the NCAA tournament with a 65-59 victory in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game last night.

The underdog Patriots made a captivating run in the NCAAs last season from at-large entry to the Final Four, beating traditional powers Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut before losing to eventual national champion Florida in the semifinals.

After losing several key players from last year's team, George Mason made another improbable push this postseason -- winning three games in three days as the No. 6 seed in the CAA tournament. But the ride finally ended when the Patriots squandered a five-point lead in the last two minutes against VCU.

With an 18-15 record, there is no chance George Mason will be given another at-large entry to the field of 65 when the NCAA brackets are announced Sunday.

Maynor scored on a steal and layup, then was fouled and finished the three-point play with 1:55 left. He stole the ball on the next possession and made a layup to tie the score with 1:46 to go, then followed a miss by the Patriots by driving and making a leaner over Darryl Monroe with 46.5 seconds to play.

After the Rams' Wil Fameni blocked a shot by Folarin Campbell, Maynor rebounded a missed 3-pointer and was intentionally fouled with 19.1 seconds left. He made both free throws, giving the Rams a 61-57 lead. They held on from there, claiming their first automatic berth in the NCAA tournament since 2004.

The Rams (27-6), who set a CAA record with 16 league wins in the regular season, reached the tournament in their first season under head coach Anthony Grant.