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.