George Mason's Skinn suspended for cheap shot on Hofstra player
FAIRFAX, Va. -- George Mason guard Tony Skinn was suspended Monday by the team for one game for punching a Hoftsra player in the groin during a semifinal game in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.
Television replays showed Skinn punched Hofstra's Loren Stokes between the legs with 55 seconds left in the game. Hofstra beat the Patriots 58-49.
No foul was called on the play. Stokes lay on the floor for several minutes before walking gingerly to the bench, where he watched the rest of the game with an ice bag on his lap.
Skinn issued an apology to Stokes, Hofstra University, his teammates and George Mason fans.
"In the heat of a tense game, I lost my head and made a bad decision," Skinn said in a statement released by the school. "I'm not making excuses for my actions and I take full responsibility for what I did."
George Mason (23-7) still has hopes for earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. If that doesn't work out for the Patriots, an NIT bid is all but assured.
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