VCU Coasts to Win over Rhode Island

Final Score: VCU 88, Rhode Island 67
Location: Siegel Center
Current Records: VCU 19-9, 11-4 in A-10. Rhode Island 11-17, 5-10 in A-10.

In a nutshell: VCU's first-year head coach, Ryan Odom, had his team ready to play tonight. His Rams outhustled Rhode Island's Rams from the get-go, played good defense, and led all the way. The home team's largest lead was 29 points. It's fair to say the visiting Rams were never really in this game. 

This late in the regular season, playing at home, that is exactly what one of the top teams in its conference is supposed to do to a struggling team with a losing record. 

VCU's offense depended on its regular top producers to put good stats in the scorebook and they did their jobs: Bamisile 24 pts., four rebounds. Shulga 20 pts., five rebounds. Bairstow 16 pts., four rebounds. Jackson 11 pts., six rebounds, five assists. Lawal nine pts., eight rebounds.

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

• Bamisile scored seven points in a two-minute stretch midway through the first half as VCU built a 21-5 lead with 11:05 remaining in the period. The lead would swell to as many as 21, at 38-17 with 2:34 left following back-to-back treys from Shulga and Bamisile. 
• Rhode Island shot just 28 percent (7-of-25) in the first half, including 2-of-12 from three as the Rams took a 42-21 lead into the locker room at the break. 
• VCU shot 48 percent (30-of-62) from the field in the game.
• VCU owned a 37-30 rebounding advantage and turned Rhody over 15 times.
• VCU owned a 15-5 edge in points off turnovers, as well as a 36-26 scoring margin in the paint.
• VCU has evened the all-time series between the two schools at 11-11. The Rams have won four straight in the series.
• Shulga, who connected on 6-of-8 free throw attempts, raised his season total to 119, and he needs just seven more to crack VCU’s single-season top-10 list.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will visit crosstown rival Richmond on Sat., March 2. Tipoff at 6 p.m. at the Robins Center. The game will be televised by the CBS Sports Network.

Yes, McConnell Paved the Road to Hell

McConnell's legacy?

On top of killing off Affirmative Action and some other nefarious moves, when Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked Obama's appointment of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, in 2016, McConnell set the bar for dirty tricks by giving us three justices from Trump, instead of just two. 

Executing that unprecedented move McConnell willfully prevented Garland from even getting a hearing, much less a confirmation vote.

Looking back on it, that episode did much to poison the ability of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to collaborate on finding solutions since then.

Moreover, with the Supreme Court's stunning announcement that it now plans to hear oral arguments on Trump's absurd immunity appeal case, during the week of April 22nd, the Court has captured the spotlight. Naturally, with that somewhat unexpected gut punch, I have to wonder what manner of skullduggery is still brewing.  

Of course, Trumplicans must be delighted with today's decision by the Supremes to help delay what is widely seen as the wannabe dictator's most important trial. Tonight, those who fear the wrath of Trump are feeling that fear intensify. 

And, McConnell's prominent role in the scary scheme to grab power we're living through stands out ... he paved the road to hell.

*

Hawks Overwhelmed by Rams' 52-point Second Half

Final score: VCU 73, St. Joe's 69
Location: Siegel Center
Current Records: VCU 18-9, 10-4 in A-10. St. Joe's 17-11, 7-8 in A-10. 

In a nutshell: When VCU's players went into their locker room at the conclusion of the first half, they were down by six points. The St. Joe's Hawks had allowed the home team to score only 21 points, so the Rams surely knew that in the second half they had to fix whatever the hell was wrong with their attitude on offense. That, or they would continue to stink up the court in front of a homecoming sellout crowd. 

We can only guess at what was said during the break, or maybe not said, but it worked like a charm. Exiting the locker room the lazy or fraidycat spell that had gripped the Rams and made them hesitate before setting a timely pick, making a bold pass, looking aggressively to take a shot, in rhythm, disappeared -- poof!

Accordingly, in the second stanza VCU lit up the scoreboard with 52 points. In the doing the Rams looked like a different team. And, it must be mentioned that the Hawks didn't back off one little bit. The result was the most entertaining half of hoops I've seen this season at the Siegel Center. 

The Rams surge was led by Tobi Lewal's enthusiastic play at both ends of the floor. His stats include: 16 points (a career high) and 10 rebounds. With his dramatic, high-flying dunks and his looming presence on defense, Lewal has become a fan favorite.  

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

● Lawal notched his fourth double-double of the season. Joe Bamisile also contributed 16 second-half points and seven rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting for the Rams. He connected on 4-of-6 from beyond the 3-point arc. 
● Senior guard Max Shulga supplied 12 points while dishing out five assists and grabbing six rebounds for the Rams. Graduate wing Sean Bairstow  chipped in nine points and six assists to the VCU effort.
● Erik Reynolds, who hit six second-half 3-pointers, and Xzayvier Brown led Saint Joseph’s with 21 points each.
● VCU opened the half on a 11-0 run over the first three minutes to lead 32-27, capped off by a Shulga dunk on a fast break. The Rams continued their charge in the second, leading by as many as 10 with 3:29 remaining. The Hawks cut the VCU lead to two points on two occasions in the second, only to see the Rams respond with a Bamisile three and then Lawal dunk. On the Rams’ penultimate possession, Bamisile hit a 10-foot fadeaway jumper as the shot clock expired to give VCU a 71-66 lead with 15 seconds on the clock.
● The Rams shot 72 percent (18-of-25) from the field in the second half, including 58 percent (7-of-12) from long distance.
● The first half was a near polar opposite of the second. The two teams combined to shoot 25 percent (14-of-57), including 4-of-24 from 3-point range.
● Saint Joseph’s went on a 14-2 run to open up a 18-9 lead at the 7:12 mark of the first as the Rams suffered a stretch of eight missed field goals.
● VCU matched the Hawks in scoring through the final five minutes of the half to go into the intermission down six, 27-21.
● The Rams owned a 39-32 advantage on the glass. VCU’s bench outscored Saint Joe’s 39-10.
● VCU improved to 6-0 all-time at the Siegel Center against Saint Joseph’s. 
● Shulga needs just nine points to reach 1,000 for his career.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP:

VCU will host Rhode Island on Wed., Feb. 28. Tipoff at 6:30 p.m. at the Siegel Center. That match-up will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.

Minutemen Stomp Rams in Amherst

Final Score: UMass 74, VCU 52
Location: Mullins Center in Amherst, Mass.
Current records: UMass 17-9, 8-6 in A-10. VCU 17-9, 9-4 in A-10. 

In a nutshell: Throughout VCU's second game of its mid-February road trip, the Rams were slow to react on defense and flat on offense. VCU won that previous matchup at St. Louis, but in the doing the Rams had allowed the Billikens to score 85 points. Unfortunately, that slack defense carried over to this tilt at UMass. That, while the zone defense of the Minutemen stifled the Rams offense -- VCU misfired on its first 14 shots from the field. 

With five games now remaining on the Rams regular season schedule, losing to the Minutemen dealt a serious blow to the hopes of bracketology watchers. Looking ahead to the seeding of the A-10 tournament, staying within the conference's top four in the standings is now a top priority. Fortunately, VCU's next game will be at home. 

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

• Coming off the bench, Joe Bamisile scored 13 points, corralled four rebounds and knocked down 5-of-6 attempts at the free throw line for the Rams. 
• Max Shulga supplied 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the 3-point line for VCU. He added five rebounds and a steal. 
• Sean Bairstow chipped in eight rebounds and six assists to the VCU effort, while Tobi Lawal contributed six points and seven boards. 
• VCU started cold and was unable to recover. UMass built a 17-2 lead to open the contest and took a 38-26 advantage into the locker room at halftime. 
• Bairstow found junior forward Roosevelt Wheeler for a dunk off a pick-and-roll to trim UMass’ lead to 48-38 with 14:00 remaining. But the Minutemen promptly responded with a 7-0 burst, punctuated by a Jayden Ndjigue 3-pointer at the 12:01 mark. The Rams never seriously threatened again. 
• VCU shot just 30 percent (17-of-56) from the field in the contest, including 25 percent (7-of-28) in the first half. 
• Josh Cohen led all scorers with 20 points for UMass, while Matt Cross turned in an 18-point, 12-rebound effort for the Minutemen. UMass shot 48 percent (28-of-59) from the field in the game and owned a 41-33 rebounding advantage. The Minutemen held a 23-3 margin in points off turnovers and 16-9 on second-chance opportunities. 

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host St. Joe’s on Sun., Feb. 25 at the Siegel Center. Tipoff at 4 p.m. That tilt will be seen nationally on the CBS Sports Network.

Defense Takes the Night Off; Rams 95, Billikens 85

Final Score: VCU 95, St. Louis 85
Location: Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. 
Current Records: VCU 17-8, 9-3 in A-10. St. Louis 9-16, 2-10 in A-10.

In the Nutshell: VCU seized control early and led for 31 of the contest's 40 minutes. The Rams' whopping 39-24 rebounding advantage was a key to their victory. 

VCU's noteworthy confidence shooting from the charity stripe continued, as the Rams sank 87 percent of their shots (27 good on 31 attempts).  

On the Rams side of the stat sheet, consistent Max Shulga provided 26 points. Shulga added six rebounds and three assists. Zeb Jackson scored nine points, pulled down two rebounds and dished for three assists. Kuany Kuany added seven points and three boards. Coming off the bench, Joe Bamisile scored 27 points and grabbed three boards; he sank five treys on nine attempts. 

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

• Shulga buried a pair of clutch 3-pointers down the stretch. Overall, he connected on 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and converted 10-of-11 from the free throw line. 
• Bamisile knocked down 7-of-13 attempts from the field, including 5-of-9 from the 3-point arc.  
• Sean Bairstow chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Rams. Tobi Lawal added five points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one impressive block.
• Sincere Parker led all scorers with 30 points for the Billikens. 
• Saint Louis pieced together a number of second-half rallies. The Billikens pulled within 85-80 with 2:50 remaining, but Shulga canned a step-back 3-pointer from the wing with 2:14 left to give VCU an eight-point margin. On the Rams’ ensuing possession, Shulga connected again from deep to supply the Rams with a 91-82 lead with less than a minute to play. Shulga added four free throws in the waning moments to cement the VCU victory.
• In rebounding, VCU had a 14-8 advantage on the offensive glass. The Rams converted those offensive boards into 19 second-chance points.
• VCU shot 49 percent (29-of-57) from the field, including 56 percent (14-of-25) in the second half. The Rams made good on 27-of-31 free throws in the contest. 
• VCU’s 95 points are its most since it beat North Carolina A&T 95-69 on Dec. 9, 2020. 
• The Rams bench outscored Saint Louis’ bench, 35-11. 
• In two games against Saint Louis this season, Bamisile has burned the Billikens for 56 points. 
• VCU improved to a 16-5 all-time record against Saint Louis and has won five straight games in the series. 

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will continue its road swing on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at UMass at 7 p.m. That contest will air on CBS Sports Network.

Fear-Driven Ketchup

Ha! I pity the fool who thinks he's going to buffalo D.A. Fani Willis in a courtroom. Now I am so-o looking forward to watching the live broadcasts of her prosecution of Trump, et al.

Meanwhile, I sure hope she weathers this storm. To avoid overplaying her hand, maybe tomorrow she should shift gears into being smooth and confident. Or, maybe her instincts are good and she should just trust them.

You can bet that while Trump, 77, was gobbling down his first course of greasy cheeseburgers a la deluxe, he was studying Fani's live performance, testifying on the stand. 

As you read these words, Trump is probably watching a tape of Fani, dealing! Which means down at Mar-a-Lago the fear-driven ketchup has hit the wall.

Politico (6-28-22): “There was ketchup dripping down the wall and a shattered porcelain plate on the floor,” Hutchinson testified, noting that aides nearby conveyed the president was “extremely angry” at the Barr interview. She told the committee that she then grabbed a towel and started wiping the ketchup off the wall alongside a presidential valet.

If Fani Willis doesn't get removed from the Trump case in Fulton County, Georgia, to me, she looks like she could become the dragon slayer who saves America from the monster MAGA-ism has become.

VCU defense withstands Dayton rally; just barely

Final score: VCU 49, Dayton 47.
Location: Siegel Center (sellout)
Current records: VCU 16-8, 8-3 in A-10. Dayton 19-4, 9-2 in A-10.

In a nutshell: With conference rival Dayton in town, the Rams were facing a tough challenge: could they keep the Flyers star, DaRon Holmes, from controlling the game? Coach Ryan Odom had the Rams double-team Holmes whenever he got the ball within 12 feet of the rim. They surrounded him, they shoved him and they fouled him. The refs let 'em play and the Rams needed that factor.

Holmes went 5-for-13 from the charity stripe. Although he scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, it was hardly the game Coach Anthony Grant needed from his likely A-10 player of the year power forward.

Except for the first few minutes VCU led the entire way. With his confidence out of joint, the Rams had to expect -- maybe even want -- for Holmes to take the last shot. He did. It was an 8-foot runner from the wing. Like most of his foul shots had, it clanged off the rim. VCU's hard earned two-point lead held up.

The Rams defense provided just enough swagger to beat the Number 18 team in the nation (AP Poll). The Rams held Dayton without a field goal for the last 4:45 of the game.

All nine Rams who played scored. Jason Nelson's 11 points set the pace. VCU's bench outscored Dayton's, 23-to-eight. The Rams won the battle of the boards, 37-to-32.

If you like an all-out brawl of a defensive game, this one was a treat. De-fense!

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

• Jason Nelson knocked down 3-of-3 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half – including one as the shot clock expired -- to help lead the Rams to a 25-22 lead at the break. Senior guard Zeb Jackson scored nine points and added six rebounds and graduate transfer Sean Bairstow added six points and eight rebounds for the Rams. 
• Sophomore forward Tobi Lawal gave the Rams a 49-42 lead with six minutes remaining on a put back. VCU did not score for the final six minutes of the game, but the Rams held Dayton to 1-of-5 shooting and forced three turnovers down the stretch to hold on for the victory. 
• The Rams were able to hold Dayton to 36 percent shooting (17-of-47) from the field for the game, including 4-of-17 from 3-point range. The Flyers entered the night as one of the nation’s top 3-point shooting teams.
• The Flyers connected on just eight second-half field goals.
• Senior guard Zeb Jackson had a personal 7-0 run early in the second half to spark the Rams as they pushed their lead to as much as 42-34 with 13:44 remaining.
• The victory is VCU’s first over a ranked foe since the Rams defeated 25th-ranked Davidson on Jan. 26, 2022.
• Dayton misfired on 9-of-18 attempts from the free throw line.
• Nate Santos led all Dayton scorers with 19.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will travel to face Saint Louis for the Rams second match-up of the season with the Billikens on Friday, Feb. 16. Tipoff at 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2.

Strong Second Half Propels VCU to Win in the Bronx

Final Score: VCU 75, Fordham 60
Location: Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx. 
Current Records: VCU 15-8, 7-3 in A-10. Fordham 10-13, 4-6 in A-10.

 

In a Nutshell: Sandwiched between home games with Richmond and Dayton, this tilt in the Bronx could easily have been a trap game for VCU. 

However, after a lackluster, sloppy first half, VCU opened the second stanza with a crushing 20-to-4 run. From then on the visitors looked like a different team. 

Shulga poured in 10 second-half points. He finished the night with a double-double -- 13 points, 10 boards and seven assists. Bamisile added 13 points, two rebounds and two assists. After missing two games with a rib injury, Bairstow contributed 12 points, eight boards, two assists. VCU's bench outscored Fordham's bench 42-to-17.

 

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

• Senior guard Shulga connected on 3-of-5 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc in the contest. Bamisile also made 3-of-5 from three-point distance.
• By the time freshman swingman Michael Belle canned a 3-pointer from the right corner at the 9:31 mark, VCU’s one-point halftime lead had ballooned to 52-35. Shulga supplied a bucket and assisted on two others in VCU’s game-changing run. Shulga later scored five straight points, including a pull-up 3-pointer with 6:52 remaining. It expanded VCU's lead to 20 points, 62-42. 
• VCU shot 51 percent (26-of-51) from the field, including 43 percent (9-of-21) from the 3-point distance. 
• VCU limited Fordham to 38 percent (23-of-60) shooting in the contest. Medor led the home team scoring with 17 points. 
• VCU also owned a 33-31 rebounding advantage and forced 15 Fordham turnovers.
• VCU outscored Fordham 29-16 off turnovers. VCU outscored Fordham 34-22 in the paint. It also connected on 14-of-16 free throws.
• The VCU Rams improved to 13-1 all-time against the Fordham Rams.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP

VCU will host (No. 18 AP Poll) Dayton at the Siegel Center on Fri., Feb. 9. Tipoff at 7 p.m. It will be televised by ESPN2. 

Rams defeat Spiders with late burst

Final score: VCU 63, Richmond 52
Location: Siegel Center
Current records: VCU 14-8, 6-3 in A-10. UR 16-6, 8-1 in A-10.

In a Nutshell: For most of the game the crosstown rivals struggled to gain an advantage on the scoreboard. Before a sellout crowd neither team's offense could gain the upper hand and establish a working margin. So their defenses ruled throughout the first half. 

The first half ended with VCU ahead by two points, 20-to-18. The second half played out differently, as the Rams scored 43 points to the Spiders 34. Guard Max Shulga and forward Kuany Kuany each finished with 15 points, which paced VCU's offense. 

The Rams won the battle of the boards by a 42-to-27 margin. VCU's bench outscored Richmond's 13-to-0.                

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

• Shulga scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half. He finished 5-for-14 from the field, adding five assists and five rebounds with two buckets from beyond the arc. 
• Kuany also scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half, shooting 5-for-7 with six rebounds and two blocks.
• Senior guard Zeb Jackson directed the VCU offense with six assists, adding five rebounds and seven points (2-for-8) while sophomore forward Tobi Lawal came off the bench to provide a strong 20 minutes, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds while adding seven points.
• VCU trailed 26-22 at the 16:50 mark of the second stanza, but back-to-back buckets from Kuany and sophomore forward Christian Fermin tied the score at 26-all with 14:51 remaining and set the stage for Shulga’s heroics.
• With VCU holding a one-point lead at 33-32, with 9:54 to go, Shugla went on a tear, scoring 11 straight points to give the home team the lead for good. The run began at 8:49, when Shulga would hit the first of back-to-back 3-pointers. 
• Richmond would answer each basket with a pair of their own and after a three-point play by the Spiders’ Neal Quinn the Rams held a two-point advantage at 39-37 (6:54). It was here the Shulga took over the scoring completely, nailing three free throws after being fouled beyond the arc to make it 42-37. Shulga then caused a turnover at midcourt and was off and running, slamming home a dunk to ignite the Siegel Center and put the Rams up by seven with six minutes to play.
• VCU connected on 18-of-20 free throws.
• Jordan King and Delonnie Hunt led Richmond with 12 points each.
• The Rams have now won the last three meetings with Richmond and have prevailed in nine-of-the-last 11 games in the Capital City Classic. The Rams victory was also the 60th all-time against Richmond for VCU; it extends their all-time advantage to 60-32.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP:

On Tuesday, February 6, VCU will face Fordham in the Bronx. The A-10 game tips off at Rose Hill Gym at 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+.

Biograph First Party: Feb. 11, 1972

On the afternoon of Sunday, February 11, I hope some of the Biograph Theatre's friends/fans (which means mostly geezers on Facebook and a handful of people who will hear about this from friends) will join me in remembering that old Fan District cinema's anniversary. It will provide a little intermission to momentarily escape the Super Bowl pregame show's parade of big budget commercials.

Background: On Feb. 11, 1972, the party to open The Biograph happened like all get-out at 814 West Grace Street in Richmond. Thus, this is a notice for a brief celebration of what was an evening (and early-morning) definitely worth remembering. Fifteen years of cinematic treats followed.

Accordingly, at 4:20 p.m. (EST), to enhance our collective remembering moment, let's all lift a properly filled glass and/or fire up a good times facilitator and have ourselves an imaginary celebration.

Volunteers only.