Too much Pellot-Rosa sinks Seahawks

Jesse Pellot-Rosa is ready on defense

After a year at Fork Union Military Academy pursuing football, following what had been a stellar three-sport career at Richmond’s George Wythe High, Jesse Pellot-Rosa decided to play basketball at VCU. While he brought plenty of heart and athletic ability with him, as a freshman Division I basketball player Jesse was a work-in-progress.

Pellot-Rosa didn’t really have an obvious position. Lacking a consistent jump shot and not exactly a deft ball-handler, was he a guard or forward, or a defensive specialist, or what?

At the Siegel Center last night, senior swingman Pellot-Rosa, 6-4, 195, played 30 minutes of complete basketball, in pacing VCU to a hard-won victory over UNC Wilmington: VCU 74, UNC-W 65.

In short, Pellot-Rosa’s game was “complete” because he did exactly what his team needed every one of those minutes on the floor. Need a deflection or a gritty play in the paint? He was there. Stats? He scored 24 points, a career high. He also grabbed five rebounds. Throw in two assists with no turnovers.

Moreover, Pellot-Rosa’s performance was a clinic in how to balance finesse with power, intensity with control and leadership with role-playing.

When the Rams needed a three-point shot, Pellot-Rosa was there with five of them on six attempts. His trey with 4:04 remaining in the game dramatically stiff-armed a scary Seahawks rally and gave the Rams the lead for good, at 60-57.

After the game, first-year VCU head coach Anthony Grant lamented the fact he’ll only have one season to coach Pellot-Rosa, whose leadership he praised.

Now a force in the Colonial Athletic Association who has arrived, it says here there may not be a better all-around basketball player -- not just a scorer -- in the league right now than the homegrown Mr. Pellot-Rosa.

VCU (15-3, 7-0 in CAA) will host its longtime rival ODU (12-6, 5-2 in CAA) on Saturday night at the Siegel Center. Don’t wait to get your tickets, this one should sellout well before its 5:30 p.m. tip-off time.

Update (from VCU’s sports information office): The men’s basketball game between VCU and ODU, scheduled for Sat., Jan. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Stuart C. Siegel Center, is sold out. The game will be televised regionally on Comcast SportsNet-Mid-Atlantic.

Photo: SLANT