VCU rally to finish off St. Joseph's; 79-to-72

Final Score: VCU 79, St. Joseph's 72
Location: Stuart C. Siegel Center
Updated Records: VCU 13-6, 4-2 n A-10; Saint Joseph’s 11-8, 3-3 in A-10.. 

In a nutshell: Both teams played well; it was a pretty good game. However, after being behind by seven points early in the second half a VCU rally, spurred on by the Rams bench, put the kybosh on the St. Joseph's Hawks' effort to upset the home team. 

Coming off of the bench Michael Belle scored a career-high 20 points, as VCU topped Saint Joseph’s Monday afternoon at the Siegel Center. Belle also got five rebounds, blocked two shots and made three steals. 

Some other noteworthy Rams stats: Brandon Jennings scored 18 points, grabbed three rebounds and made two steals. Terrence Hill scored 13 points, snatched two rebounds, dished for eight assists and made three steals.

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

●      With 16:27 remaining, the Rams trailed, 43-36,  but VCU chipped away over the next six-plus minutes. Belle tied the game at 59-59 with a layup at the 7:43 mark, and Jennings buried a 3-pointer a short time later to push the Rams to a 63-59 advantage with 6:18 left. A Belle layup with 3:42 on the clock extended the margin to 66-61, and Jennings added his fourth triple with 3:09 remaining to keep the Hawks at bay at 69-63.

●      Tyrell Ward chipped in nine points, four rebounds, and hit 4-of-6 from the line in 22 minutes for the Rams.

●      Saint Joseph’s was paced by Derek Simpson, who finished with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.

●      VCU forced 18 Saint Joseph’s turnovers and outscored the Hawks 12-8 in turnover opportunities. The Rams committed 10 turnovers.

●      The Rams were fueled in part by a 20-12 second-half rebounding advantage. VCU corralled eight offensive boards in the second half and turned them into 13 second-chance points. 

●      The Black and Gold shot 50 percent (15-of-30) in the second half, including 5-of-12 from beyond the arc.

●      The Rams totaled 17 assists on 27 made field goals.

●      With Saint Joseph’s within three in the final minute, the Rams went a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line over the final 30 seconds to close out the win.

●      VCU head coach Phil Martelli Jr. was facing his alma mater Monday.

●      The game featured nine ties and 11 lead changes, reflecting the back-and-forth nature of the matchup.

●      Terrence Hill Jr. reached double figures for the ninth straight game.

●      VCU has won nine straight against Saint Joseph’s and leads the all-time series, 14-5. 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: On Saturday, January 24, the Rams will travel to Davidson. The game will be broadcast on USA Network.

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On the road: VCU 84, URI 75

Final Score: VCU 84, Rhode Island 75
Location: Kingston, R.I. (Ryan Center)
Updated Records: VCU 12-6, 3-2 in A-10, Rhode Island 10-8, 1-4 in A-10.

 

In a nutshell: VCU's two-game losing streak ended with a good win on the road. The Rams from Richmond, Virginia, took the lead early and led for most of the game (38:45) against the Rams from Kingston, Rhode Island. 

One particularly noteworthy factor was that VCU's offense took good care of the ball, as it committed only five turnovers (a season low). Plus, VCU made good on 41 percent (12-of-19) of its shots from 3-point range.

Other noteworthy stats: VCU's bench scored 49 points. Terrence Hill scored a game-high 19 points off the bench. He also dished for three assists. By the way, Hill has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games. 

Jadrian Tracey added 17 points, got four rebounds and gave out three assists. Ahmad Nowell scored 14 points and snatched three rebounds. Michael Belle scored 10 pts, grabbed five  boards and recorded three assists..

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

• VCU never trailed, but saw Rhode Island tie the game at 51-51 on a Cochran 3-pointer with 13:43 remaining. But VCU steadied the ship from there. Tracey answered with a traditional three-point play on the ensuing possession and junior guard Tyrell Ward buried a three from the right corner moments later to ignite a 20-5 VCU run over the next seven minutes. 
• VCU forced 13 Rhode Island turnovers and outscored them 16-5 off turnover opportunities. 
• Tyler Cochran supplied 17 points to pace Rhody.
• The Black and Gold shot 56 percent (15-of-27) on the first half to build a 40-30 advantage at the break. VCU shot 49 percent (27-of-55) from the field in the contest. 
•  The Rams were playing Wednesday’s game without the services of second-leading scorer and starting center Lazar Djokovic, who missed the game due to an illness. 
• VCU improved to 13-11 all-time against Rhode Island. The Black and Gold have won six straight in the series, including their last four at the Ryan Center. 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: On Monday, January 19, VCU will host Saint Joseph’s. Tipoff at at 3 p.m. in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee. TV: CBS Sports Network.

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Mason tops slumping VCU

Final Score: George Mason 86, VCU 80.
Location: Fairfax, Va. (EagleBank Arena)
Updated Records: George Mason 16-1, 4-0  in A-10), VCU 11-6, 2-2 in A-10.

In a nutshell: In losing its second consecutive game, once again, VCU's late-game defense proved to be inadequate. In the second half of Saturday's tilt, George Mason made 60 percent (15-of-25) of its shots from the field. To be fair, both Saint Louis and Mason are good teams that can be expected to contend for invitations to the Big Dance.  

Meanwhile, the good news for VCU is that the Rams will face the Billikens and the Patriots again during the regular season, so VCU will have an opportunity to get even with both of them.   

Some VCU stats: Lazar Djokovic scored a game-high 23 points. He sank seven of his nine  field goal attempts and converted all nine of his shots from the charity stripe. Djokovic also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists. Coming off the bench Terrence Hill scored 16 points, got six rebounds and handed out four assists. 

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

·  In all, five VCU players reached double figures, including junior forward Michael Belle (11), sophomore guard Brandon Jennings (11) and freshman guard Nyk Lewis (10).

·  George Mason shot 56 percent from the field in the game. The Patriots also knocked down 21-of-24 free throws, including 18-of-20 in the second half.

·  George Mason owned a 44-36 scoring edge in the paint. The Rams owned a 31-29 rebounding advantage.

·  Riley Allenspach and Fatt Hill sparked the Patriots with 16 points each.

·   The Rams took a 56-55 lead with 9:23 left on a drive and layup by Hill. George Mason responded with an 8-0 run, capped by a layup by Jahari Long, to grab a 63-56 advantage with 7:04 remaining. The Patriots never trailed again.

·  The game featured seven ties and eight lead changes.

·  VCU shot 47 percent (27-of-57) from the field in the contest.

·  VCU leads the overall series with George Mason 49-23. The Rams had won seven straight at EagleBank arena, prior to Saturday’s loss.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will travel to Kingston, R.I. to face the Rhode Island Rams on Wednesday, January 14. Tipoff at 6 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network.

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Sputtering offense dooms Rams; Billikens prevail

Final Score: Saint Louis 71, VCU 62.
Location: Siegel Center 
Updated Records: Saint Louis 14-1 (2-0 in A-10).. VCU 11-5 (2-1 in A-10).

In a nutshell: The game matched what many think are the two best teams in the Atlantic 10. Both are known for their high scoring offenses. When the game started both teams raced up and down the floor and missed a lot of shots. However, eventually Saint Louis began hitting shots, but VCU kept on missing. 

So the Rams finished the game having sunk just 29 percent of their shots from the field. That, while the Billikens made good on 43 percent (27-of-63) of their field goal attempts. Put simply, that was the difference. 

The Rams shooting was actually the coldest of the season. To their credit, they never quit; they just couldn't hit wide open shots. Saint Louis led for 38:38 of the game. After a furious rally, VCU led (62-to-61) for 13 seconds, late in the contest.  

A few VCU stats: Coming off the bench Terrence Hill led the Rams scoring with 17 points. Lazar Djokovic’s scored 11 points, grabbed 12 boards and blocked two shots. Michael Belle scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots.

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

●      VCU trailed by as many as 14 points, at 49-35, following a Kellen Thames layup with 12:11 remaining. But the Rams chipped away. A traditional three-point play by Djokovic sparked a 12-2 VCU run that culminated in a drive and layup by sophomore guard Ahmad Nowell that gave the Rams a 62-61 lead with 2:30 on the clock. But Saint Louis took command down the stretch. The Billikens outscored VCU 10-0 in the final 2:30, including a go-ahead 3-pointer from the right wing with 2:17 left.  

 ●      Jadrian Tracey tied a career-high with four steals.

●      Thames led the Billikens with a career-high 18 points and 10 rebounds.   

●      Saint Louis also took advantage in the paint as they outscored VCU 40-24.

●      Wednesday’s match-up pitted the Atlantic 10 Conference’s preseason No. 1 (VCU) and No. 2 (Saint Louis) teams against one another.

●      Both teams received 30 points from their bench.

●      The Rams shot 83 percent (20-of-24) from the free throw line.

 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will hit the road to face George Mason on Saturday, January. 10. Tipoff at noon. TV: ESPNU. 

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VCU tops Duquesne, 93-to-80

Final Score: VCU 93, Duquesne 80
Location: Pittsburgh (UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse)
Updated Records: VCU 11-4 (2-0 in A-10), Duquesne 9-6 (1-1 in A10)

In a nutshell: The VCU Rams looked confident, as they led for most of the game. The Duquesne Dukes struggled on their homecourt to keep the score close. Most of the time VCU led by a comfortable margin. 

With this performance in a road game it's fair to say that Coach Phil Martelli's team is shaping up nicely 15 games into a 31 game regular season. The Rams impressive offense is averaging 87.2 points per game. Among D1 programs that puts them at 27th in the nation. However, the Rams defense is allowing their opponents to score an average of 73.4 points per game. Which has the Rams ranked at 144th. 

Still, maybe the best yardstick to look at right now is that VCU has won five consecutive games. In my view that says VCU is getting better. To me, it suggests the Rams are learning, as a team, how to finish games off.     

.   
Here's a look at some individual Rams scoring numbers from the Duquesne game. Five Rams scored in double figures: Hill 21; Djokovic 18, Nowell 14; Lewis 13; Tracey  11. 

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

· Hill knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and connected on 7-of-12 attempts from the field overall on the way to his third 20-point effort of the season.

· Djokovic scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots to lead the Rams in the paint. He buried 9-of-10 attempts from the free throw line.

· Sophomore Ahmad Nowell provided the Rams with a much-needed second-half spark off the bench, supplying 12 of his 14 of his points after intermission. He connected on 5-of-7 attempts from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.

· Freshman Nyk Lewis added 13 points, four assists and three steals, while senior Jadrian Tracey provided 11 points and four rebounds to round out VCU’s quintet of double-digit scorers.

· Tarence Guinyard led all scorers with 22 points for Duquesne.

· VCU shot 54 percent (29-of-54) from the field in the contest, its fifth straight game over 50 percent. The Rams hit 44 percent of their 3-point tries (11-of-25).

· The Rams owned a 33-25 rebounding advantage and used 10 offensive boards to build an 18-5 edge in second-chance points.

· Duquesne opened the second half with a 19-8 run to trim VCU’s lead to 54-53 with 13:33 remaining. But Hill and Nowell drove the lane for back-to-back buckets to afford VCU some breathing room. A short time later, Hill finished another from close range and Nowell buried a deep 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 run that gave the Black and Gold a 63-53 lead with 10:23 on the clock. The Dukes could get no closer than seven the rest of the way, and the Rams pushed their margin to as much as 84-69 on a wide-open 3-pointer from the right wing by senior Barry Evans at the 2:38 mark.

· VCU built a 46-34 first half lead behind 7-of-14 shooting from three and 10 points by Hill.

· VCU has scored at least 80 points in five straight games for the first time since the 1975-76 season.

· The Rams’ bench outscored Duquesne’s reserves 43-23.

· VCU improved to 10-4 all-time against Duquesne with Saturday’s win. 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host Saint Louis on Wednesday, January 7. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. This tilt matches up the A10 Conference’s preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams. TV: CBS Sports Network.

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For-Sure Truths

For-Sure Truths: Post 1
by F.T. Rea

My 78 years on Earth have taught me a few for-sure truths. Here's one of them: In order for groups to run smoothly it's essential to have recognized standards of honesty. That goes for groups of all sizes; teams, neighborhoods and societies. 

(And, it requires that sometimes we must run dishonest people off. More about that angle later in Post 2.)

Having genuine confidence in the honesty of our teammates, associates and fellow citizens greases the wheels of progress. That confidence saves time in doubting and fact-checking. Yet another for-sure truth is that dishonesty acts as sand in the gears of cooperation. 

On April 3, 2017, TIME Magazine's striking red, black and white cover asked a question that was both timely and scary: "Is Truth Dead?" 

In the spring of 2017, having Donald Trump in the White House had suddenly made that heavy blunt question much more timely and scary. After all, with Trump the fraudster -- looming as a role model, many parents had to have started wondering how in the world a praiseworthy reverence for honesty and fair dealing will ever develop in their children's young minds. 

Today, as 2026 is beginning to unfold, it seems obvious that Trump is convinced that truth itself has always been shaped by powerful men, just as they have seen fit. Like, we should never trust our lying eyes and ears. 

Moreover, in Trump's MAGA world a concept such as "standards of honesty" is merely a collection of malleable words, another phrase in a propagandist's lexicon.     

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Late rally boosts VCU over St. Bonaventure

Final Score: VCU 89, St. Bonaventure 82
Location: Siegel Center
Updated Records: VCU 10-4 (1-0 in A-10), St. Bonaventure 11-3 (0-1 in A-10)

In a nutshell: This well-played game was a close affair most of the way; with lead changes aplenty. Then the always tough Bonnies managed to build a seven-point lead 12 minutes into the second half. 

At that point the sellout crowd swelled up and inspired the Rams defense to clamp down and utterly dominate the game. St. Bonaventure went without a field goal for over six-and-a-half minutes during that game-deciding crucial stretch. 

And, in what was an eye-popping clutch performance, Brandon Jennings completely took over the Rams offense. As the clock wound down the sophomore guard became an unstoppable go-to guy. All of Jennings' career-high 20 points were scored in the second half. In the doing, he made good on 14 of his 15 free throw attempts.  

Some other noteworthy Rams stats: Lazar Djokovic scored 23 points, pulled down four rebounds and went five-for-five in free throws. Coming off the bench Terrence Hill scored 19 points and grabbed three rebounds. Barry Evans scored 10 points and dished for four assists. Hot-handed VCU shot 55 percent from the field. The Rams outscored the Bonnies, 48-38, in the paint.

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

●      Djokovic finished with 23 points, thanks to 9-of-12 shooting from the field, including three thunderous slam dunks. He added a career-high 38 minutes and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the second half.

●      Senior forward Barry Evans rounded out the VCU double-digit scorers with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. 

●      Frank Mitchell led all scorers with 24 points for the Bonnies.

●      The Rams converted 26-of-28 free throws (93 percent) in the contest and shot 55 percent (29-of-53) from the field. VCU connected on 13-of-14 baskets from inside the arc in the second half. 

●      Jennings’ 14 free throws tied the program record for a single game, held by four others and reached most recently by Treveon Graham against Richmond in 2015..

●      Djokovic’s 23 points is the most by a VCU player in a game this season, passing Hill who scored 22 points in a victory over Samford.

●      With the victory, VCU ties the all-time series with St. Bonaventure at 11 wins apiece.

 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: On Saturday, January 3, VCU hits the road to Pittsburgh for an A-10 conference game with Duquesne. Tipoff at noon. TV: USA Network.

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