Boys" basketball: George Mason tops Fort Chiswell, advances to first state final RICHMOND - With Nate Ogle, the unquestioned leader of the George Mason boys" basketball team, sitting out of a Virginia A Division 2 semifinal on Friday afternoon with a broken wrist, the Mustangs had to find different ways to make up for the loss of the 6-foot-3 senior. Some players came off the bench to replace the production of the team's leading scorer, while others tried to counter the inside presence of Fort Chiswell's 6-foot-6 center Coleman Thomas. The biggest challenge, however, was replacing the leadership of a player called the team's "emotional hub." That task fell to Noel Obusan, and the senior point guard - all 5 feet 6, 120 pounds of him - carried the load, scoring 15 points with eight assists to lead the Mustangs to a 62-50 win at VCU's Siegel Center. The victory secured George Mason's first berth in the state final, where it will face Lancaster (26-2) on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Richmond. "It's always been our dream, me, Philippe [Griffiths] and Nate," Obusan said. We've always been working hard, all offseason we've been practicing. We've always wanted to be here and finally getting here feels good. After playing through pain in Mason's quarterfinal win over Essex on March 3, Ogle, who was averaging 12.5 points, learned he had broken his wrist and risked permanent damage if he played. That left the Mustangs (26-5) without their top inside presence against Thomas (13 points) - who, in the words of Mason Coach Chris Capannola, made one of the strongest Mustangs looks as though "he had never seen a barbell before in his life." Mason shot just 33 percent in the first half, including 3-of-11 from three-point range, with Griffiths (15 points) the only effective scorer. Despite that, the Mustangs led 24-19 as Fort Chiswell (21-7) also struggled from the field. Coming out after halftime, however, Obusan was more aggressive attacking the Pioneers" 2-3 zone. Mason opened the third quarter on a 10-2 run as Obusan dished out assists, setting up Will Nunley (13 points) three times over a one-minute span. Obusan then had nine points in the fourth quarter as the Mustangs, dedicating their performance to Ogle, booked a trip to the state final. "They're upset for their friend," Capannola said. "But they said, "We're going to come do it for you." And they did.