VCU stiff-arms GW's fierce late rally

Final score: VCU 74, GW 68. 

Location: Smith Center in D.C.

Final regular season records: VCU 24-7, 15-3 in A-10. Geo. Washington 16-15, 10-8 in A-10. 

In a nutshell: Don't try to tell the players on these two teams that this season finale didn't matter all that much. The game's competitive spirit was obvious throughout both halves. Forward Brandon Johns set the pace for the victorious Rams, with 17 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. It was his first career double-double. 

Forward Jalen DeLoach, scored 11 points, grabbed seven rebounds and also blocked two shots. In all, four Rams scored in double figures. The Rams outrebounded the Colonials, 35-to-29. VCU's bench outscored GW's bench, 30-to-14.

VCU led 35-32 after the first 20 minutes. So Johns promptly opened the second half with a trey and DeLoach followed with a bucket, by way of a timely steal by Nick Kern. That provided the Rams with a quick eight-point lead, 40-32. 

Beginning midway through the second half, long distance gunner David Shriver went on a sudden tear and hit four 3-pointers. Boom! 

As a result, at the 7:21 mark, VCU’s lead swelled to 17 points, 66-49. However, at this point the never-say-die Colonials picked themselves up and went on a 16-to-2 run, to collapse that formally comfortable lead down to just three -- with just 50 seconds on the clock, the score was VCU 68, GW 65. 

Point guard Ace Baldwin seized the moment by making a play to decide the game: he dished to Johns cutting through the lane. Johns wheeled and dunked it, emphatically! Cool as a cucumber, VCU followed by going four-for-four at the charity stripe, to secure the victory and provide the final score of the regular season's last game. 

NOTES (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• Johns connected on 6-of-12 attempts from the field.
• Baldwin chipped in six points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals
• The Rams forced 12 turnovers and outscored the Colonials 16-8 off those miscues.
• Three Colonials scored 14 points, including Hunter Dean, who also grabbed eight boards.
• VCU led for 36:52 of the 40-minutes of play.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP

VCU will be the No. 1 overall seed in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament March 7-12 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. VCU, which won the A-10 regular season by three games, has earned a double-bye to the quarterfinal round. So VCU will take on the winner of the game between the and eighth and ninth seeded teams. That tilt will tipoff at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. TV on USA Network.

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