Rams second half avalanche crushes Bonnies

Final Score: VCU 75, St. Bonaventure 61.
Location: Siegel Center.
Updated Records: VCU 16-4, 6-1 in A-10. St. Bonaventure 15-6, 3-5 in A-10.

In a nutshell: After stumbling and bumbling its way through the first half, VCU rambled and scrambled to drop 50 points on gobsmacked St. Bonaventure in the second half. A raucous Friday night sellout (7,637) gathering at The Stu ate it up. In extending their streak of consecutive victories to six, the Rams also snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bonnies. 

Rams stats: Bamisile scored 18 points, all in the second half. He made good on  seven of his 12 attempts from the field and two-for-four from beyond the arc; he added six rebounds and six assists to his stat line. Phil Russell scored 16 points, sinking five of his 11 attempts from the field, which included four-for-seven from 3-point range. Max Shulga scored 13 points. Jack Clark scored 12 points. And, Zeb Jackson contributed seven points and nine rebounds.

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

● VCU responded to an eight-point halftime deficit with a 12-2 run to open the second, capped off by a Bamisile layup to tie the game at 35-35 and force a Bona timeout with 16:17 left in the second half.
● The Rams pieced together another 11-2 run shortly afterwards to take a 48-43 lead with 10:58 left in the second half. VCU would not trail again.
● VCU forced 16 St. Bonaventure turnovers and outscored the Bonnies 17-4 off miscues.
● The Black and Gold used many of those turnovers to spark runouts, and outscored Bona 22-5 on the fast break.
● VCU shot 45 percent (26-of-58) from the field, including 46 percent (11-of-24) from 3-point range.
● The Rams fell behind quickly in the first half as the Bonnies started the game with a 7-2 run over the first four minutes. VCU took its first lead of the game at 16-15 with 9:27 left in the first following an 8-0 run. But the Bonnies immediately answered with a 7-0 counterpunch. St. Bonaventure would take a 33-25 lead into the locker room.
● VCU’s rally from a 10-point deficit, at 35-25, was the largest lead its overcome to win a game this season.
● Chance Moore would lead all scorers with 21 points for the Bonnies.
● The Rams’ bench outscored St. Bonaventure’s 15-0.

BOXSCORE
 
NEXT UP: VCU will face Saint Louis on the road on Tue., Jan. 28. Tipoff at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

-- 30 --