Rams' late rally saves the day

 

Final score: VCU 60, Seattle 56.
Location: Siegel Center.
Current records: VCU 3-1. Seattle 2-2. 

IN A NUTSHELL: 

VCU was fortunate to escape with a win this afternoon. The Rams won't beat many good teams with the sort of lackluster effort they turned in against Seattle for a good part of the game. There was plenty of standing around an watching at both ends of the floor. 

Then pow! VCU rallied in the last few minutes and looked like a completely different outfit. A team that could beat a lot of pretty good teams. This time they got away with playing hard for about half of the game.   

Stats: Jackson's 20 points established a new career-high for him. He also grabbed six rebounds. Lawal added 10 points, four boards and two blocked shots. Fermin provided eight points and he got nine rebounds. Shulga scored seven points, dished for seven assists and he got seven rebounds.

In addition, VCU's bench outscored Seattle’s bench by a 19-to-3 margin. 

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

• The Rams got off to a fast start, grabbing three offensive rebounds early in the game to garner a 10-point lead by the midway point of the first half. VCU eventually stretched its advantage to 21-8. Seattle would tie the game with an 11-0 run at the 2:56 mark of the first and took a 28-27 lead into the break.

• Seattle led 49-41 – it’s largest cushion of the day -- with 6:32 left following a 3-pointer by Schumacher. 

• Lawal answered with a 3-pointer from the right wing on the next possession – the first trey of his career – to kick off a 17-4 VCU run over the next five minutes. Lawal also buried a triple from the left corner to pull the Rams within 51-49 with 3:53 remaining. 

• VCU closed the game on a 16-5 run to rally to victory. Lawal came up with an offensive rebound and found Nelson on the left wing for a go-ahead 3-pointer that gave the Rams a 54-53 lead with 1:58 remaining. The Rams would not trail again.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: 

• VCU will travel to Orlando, Fla. during the Thanksgiving holiday for the ESPN Events Invitational at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Nov. 23, 24 and 26. The Rams will open with Iowa State on Thanksgiving at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.