Lobos unravel Rams: NM 81, VCU 78

Final Score: New Mexico 81, VCU 78.
Location: Siegel Center.
Updated records: New Mexico 8-2. VCU 6-4.

 

In a nutshell: On Wednesday night two pretty good teams with high hopes of being in on the NCAA's championship tournament in March faced one another at the Siegel Center. The visitors, the New Mexico Lobos, came away with a win over the VCU Rams that should buff the Lobos post season credentials. 

In my view the two teams were rather evenly matched, talent-wise. VCU led by five points at halftime. During the contest both teams enjoyed runs in which they appeared to be dominant. However, for over half of the game the Lobos managed to maintain a slim lead.  

Then, in those last, money-time minutes, it all came down to which team -- under intense pressure -- could execute their strategies better than the other. That was when the Rams fell apart. 

Try as it might, suddenly, Coach Phil Martelli's team couldn't make a timely good play. During that final couple of minutes the Rams had their chances. Still, the coach's selected late-game players were unable to seize those opportunities. 

Now, 10 games into the season, we'll soon see how well the VCU 2025-2026 team's confidence recovers from such a tough, homecourt loss. 

  

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

·      Jennings stuffed the box score with 13 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks to bolster the Black and Gold. He converted all nine of his free throw attempts and was one of four Rams to score in double figures.

·      Freshman guard Nyk Lewis led the Rams with 14 points, going 3-of-7 from three and added three rebounds.

·      VCU junior forward Lazar Djokovic followed with 13 points and five rebounds

·      Jadrian Tracey added 12 points to the VCU cause and shot 6-of-7 from the charity stripe.

·      Michael Belle and Terrence Hill Jr. combined for 18 points off the VCU bench, with Hill Jr. knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and finishing with nine points, while Belle shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and pulled down a season-high seven rebounds.

·      Freshman Jake Hall led the Lobos with a career-high 24 points, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.

·      New Mexico’s shot 50 percent from the floor (27-of-54) and 44 percent from three (8-of-18). VCU shot 39 percent from the field and 27 percent (7-of-26) from 3-point range.

·      The Rams led 65-61 midway through the second half before New Mexico responded with a 14-0 run to go up 75-65. VCU answered with a 10-0 run of their own to tie it 75-75 with 4:45 remaining. But the Lobos got a go-ahead three by Hall on a broken play with 2:40 remaining and never surrendered the lead again. The Rams had three chances down the stretch to tie the game or take the lead, but could not convert.

·      New Mexico’s bench edged VCU’s 21-18, led by JT Rock and Uriah Tenette combining for 15.

·      The Lobos knocked down 19-of-22 attempts at the free throw line (86 percent), while VCU connected on 23-of-28 (82 percent).

·      The Rams outrebounded New Mexico 37-33 and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds

·      VCU shot a season-high 82 percent at the line. Jennings went 9-for-9 from the line. 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host Niagara on Monday, December 15. Tipoff at 7 p.m. TV: MASN or ESPN+.

-- 30 --

VCU's second half buries Samford

Final Score: VCU 83, Samford 57
Location: Siegel Center
Updated Records: VCU 6-3, Samford 4-6

In a nutshell: With its deep bench VCU ran Samford ragged in the second half. During the second stanza the running Rams outscored the weary Bulldogs by 23 points.   

Some noteworthy Rams stats: In defeating Samford, Terrence Hill scored 22 points (career high) and a trio of his teammates contributed double-doubles. Barry Evans, Jadrian Tracey and Keyshawn Mitchell, all three, scored 10 points. 

And, Tracey snatched 13 boards. Evans grabbed five rebounds and dished for six assists. Mitchell got 11 rebounds. The home team corralled 18 more rebounds than did the visitors. 

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

 

●      Hill tied a career-high with five 3-pointers made on nine attempts. His previous career-highs in points and three-pointers each occurred in VCU’s victory over Virginia Tech on Nov. 28.

●      Freshman guard Jordan Tillery added 10 points and made both of the 3-pointers he attempted for the Rams.  

●      The Rams' bench dominated as they scored 50 points, compared to nine for the Bulldogs

●      VCU collapsed the glass, grabbing 52 total and 17 offensive rebounds, compared to 34 and 9 for Samford, respectively. The Rams also scored 16 second-chance points compared to six for the Bulldogs.

●      The Rams held the Bulldogs to 2-of-20 shooting from beyond the arc, while the Rams connected on 12-of-28 (43 percent) from long rang.

●     In all, VCU outscored Samford 27-6 between the 3:05 mark in the first half and the 14:35 mark in the second half.

●      Dylan Faulkner led Samford with 22 points and nine rebounds.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host New Mexico on Wednesday, December 10. Tipoff 7 p.m. TV: MASN or ESPN+.

-- 30 --

Rams Thanksgiving in Nassau: two wins, one loss

Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Game 1: Rams Coast Past South Florida

Final score: VCU.78  South Florida 66.
Location: Nassau, Bahamas (Imperial Arena)
Updated records: VCU 4-2. SF 3-3.

In a nutshell: On Wednesday afternoon VCU's star forward Lazar Djokovic was hard to stop. He poured in a game-high 20 points, while his teammate, forward Barry Evans, contributed a double-double. That pair led the Rams past the South Florida Bulls in the opening round of the three-day tournament. Most of the game VCU stayed in the lead just by coasting..  

Other noteworthy Rams stats: Djokovic grabbed five rebounds to go with his 20 points. Guard Terrence Hill scored 15 points, got two rebounds and dished for two assists. Evans scored 10 points and pulled down 10 boards. 

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

 

·      Djokovic connected on 4-of-7 attempts from the floor, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc in the contest, but he lived at the free throw line Wednesday, where he converted 11-of-18 attempts. He also corralled eight rebounds and blocked a shot

·      Evans shot 5-of-10 from the floor and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds on the way to his fifth career double-double.

·      In all, four Rams reached double figures, including sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr., who provided 15 points, while freshman guard Nyk Lewis added 11 and five rebounds

·      Izaiyah Nelson led USF with 16 points. 

·      South Florida came into the game averaging 100 points per game this season, and the Bulls lowest point total prior to Wednesday was 95. But the Rams’ blanketing defense held USF to 39 percent (26-of-67) shooting from the field, including 2-of-13 from 3-point range.

·      Djokovic’s presence helped VCU gain a 48-34 advantage in points in the paint..

·      The Rams outrebounded the Bulls 47-39, including 27-14 in the second half. VCU grabbed 16 offensive rebounds.

·      The Rams fell behind 12-3 in the game’s early moments, but used a 14-2 burst, punctuated by back-to-back Hill 3-pointers, to take a 17-14 lead at the 10:27 mark of the first half. Evans later scored the final two buckets of the first half, including a steal and dunk to beat the first half buzzer, to send the Black and Gold into the locker room with a 36-33 lead. The Rams would not trail again. 

·      VCU opened the second half with a 13-6 burst, capped by a Djokovic 3-pointer, to push its lead to 49-39 with 16:09 on the clock. 

·      Djokovic’s 18 free throw attempts were one shy of the VCU single-game record of 19, set by Shawn Hampton on Dec. 12, 1998 against Liberty. 

 

BOXSCORE

* 

Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Game 2: VCU Falls to Vanderbilt 

Final score: Vanderbilt 89, VCU 74. . 

Location: Nassau, Bahamas 
Updated records: Vandy 7-0. VCU 4-3.

In a nutshell: The now 17th-ranked (AP Poll) Commodores were aggressive, confident and too damn quick. That, while the Rams seemed a step slow, maybe a little tired. 

Nonetheless, Rams point guard Nyk Lewis racked up 16 points, to lead a couple of his teammates who also put double-doubles in the scorebook. Vanderbilt was smooth and competent at both ends of the floor.   

Other noteworthy Rams stats: Jadrian Tracey -- 15pts. Lazar Djokovic -- 12 pts.. Michael Belle grabbed six rebounds. . 

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

·      Lewis converted 6-of-8 attempts at the free throw line and added a pair of assists for the Black and Gold

·      Senior guard Jadrian Tracey added 15 points for VCU, while junior forward Michael Belle kicked in seven points and six rebounds off the bench for the Rams

·      VCU junior forward Lazar Djokovic provided 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 from the line

·      Vanderbilt’s Duke Miles led all players with 20 points. He was 10-of-11 at the charity stripe

·      The Commodores entered the day as one of the most efficient offenses in the country and did little to dent that reputation. Vanderbilt shot 53 percent (27-of-51) from the field, including 50 percent (11-of-22) from 3-point range. VCU shot 36 percent (20-of-56) from the floor, including 24 percent (7-of-29) from beyond the arc

·      Vandy also owned a 43-29 rebounding advantage

·      The Commodores shot 61 percent (14-of-23) in the second half. A step-back 3-pointer by Lewis, followed by a Belle floater pushed VCU within 60-54 with 12:08 remaining, but Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel buried a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer on the next possession to kick off a 7-0 burst that pushed the margin out to 13

·      In the first half, Nickel drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to ignite a 20-2 Vanderbilt run that gave the Commodores a 20-4 advantage at the 13:22 mark. But VCU chipped away. By halftime, a Tracey traditional three-point play and a Belle tip-in had pulled the Rams within 43-41 at intermission.

BOXSCORE

*

Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Game 3: Rams Clobber Hokies 

Final score: VCU 86,Va Tech 68.

Location: Nassau, Bahamas

Updated records: VCU 5-3. Va. Tech 6-2..

 
In a nutshell: In  Friday afternoon's tilt guard Terrence Hill scored 21 points; four other Rams managed to score in double figures. In the doing, VCU completed the Battle 4 Atlantis holiday tournament with a 2-1 record, which was good for third place. 

Overall, in this third game in Nassau, VCU played well. We saw none of the leg-weariness the Rams exhibited for too much of Thanksgiving Day's game. In Friday's contest the Rams dogged defense stymied the Hokies' rather overwhelmed offense. 

Other noteworthy Rams stats: Barry Evans scored 17 points, grabbed five boards and dished for three assists. Lazar Djokovic scored 11 points and got five rebounds. 

So far this season, VCU has not had much trouble scoring points, Thus, when the Rams defense is working like it ought to, I expect they will defeat some pretty good teams this season. There's no shortage of athleticism on this squad.

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

·      Hill buried all five of his 3-point attempts in the game and finished 6-of-7 overall from the field. He also connected on all four of his free throw attempts and grabbed three rebounds.

·      Senior forward Barry Evans stuffed the box score with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Black and Gold.

·      VCU senior guard Jadrian Tracey and junior forward Lazar Djokovic added 13 and 11 points, respectively.

·      Amani Hansberry and Tyler Johnson led the Hokies with 16 points each.

·      VCU shot 53 percent (30-of-57) from the field in the contest, including 11-of-21 from 3-point range. The Rams also owned a 36-28 edge on the glass.

·      The Rams led by as many as 20 Friday, but with eight minutes remaining, Virginia Tech had whittled that advantage down to 68-62 with a 13-3 run. But Evans finished a tough two-point bucket in the paint with 6:39 left, and Hill scored five straight points in a 12-3 burst to extend the Rams’ lead to 80-65 with 4:55 remaining. Tracey effectively drove home the dagger with a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock with 3:29 remaining.

·      Evans scored three early baskets and Tracey hit a step-back three as VCU sprinted to a 15-5 lead by the 15:59 mark. Virginia Tech answered later with a 12-0 run, fueled by a pair of Jaden Schutt 3-pointers, to take a 27-25 lead with 7:20 left in the first half. The Hokies would not lead again. Evans scored the next three buckets in the game and VCU eventually took a 45-35 lead into intermission.

·      VCU and Virginia Tech were meeting for just the second time since 1995 and the first time since the 2013-14 season. The Rams lead the all-time series 12-10.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host Samford on Fri,, Dec. 5. Tipoff at 7 p.m. at the Siegel Center. TV:: MASN or ESPN+. 

-- 30 --

'We’ll never be young again'

Camelot at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave lasted 1,036 days. In particular, for the children in school 62 years ago --on Nov. 22, 1963 -- the murder of President John F. Kennedy was stunning in a way nothing has been since.

Two days later, on Nov. 24, 1963, a live national television audience witnessed the murder of the assassination’s prime suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald. Consequently, there was no doubt that Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub operator, was the trigger-man. What made him do it is still being questioned.

Shortly after JFK’s death, columnist Mary McGrory expressed her dark feelings to Daniel Patrick Moynihan: “We’ll never laugh again.”

Moynihan, who was an Assistant Secretary of Labor then, replied, “Heavens, Mary, we’ll laugh again. It’s just that we’ll never be young again.”

The cynicism spawned by the aftermath of the JFK assassination has tinted much of what the aforementioned children have seen, to do with politics, since those dark days 62 years ago. Especially, stuff to do with political investigations.

However, today, I’m not at all convinced there must have been a far-flung and complicated conspiracy to kill the president and to then cover up the tracks. Furthermore, after he was dead, just because some people deliberately obscured related information, we don't necessarily know why they did it. In some cases it was probably people trying to cover asses for a myriad of reasons. 

 

So, for now, let's skip past the argument over whether, or not, Oswald acted alone. For the moment, let's not speculate about whether Oswald was a dupe, or one of the greatest marksmen who ever lived. The point of this piece is to recognize that the secrecy that rushed in obscured the truth about what happened in November of 1963 and poisoned the American culture in a way that is still being felt. 

The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, known as the Warren Commission, published its report on Sept. 24, 1964: Essentially, Oswald was found to have been a lone wolf assassin. Which immediately unleashed the questioning of the Commission’s findings.

Perhaps its famous “single bullet theory,” which had one projectile traveling circuitously through two victims, was great sleuthing. Or maybe it was just an unbelievable reach.

*

In 1965 unknown gunmen murdered Malcolm X in an auditorium in Manhattan. I say "unknown" because the two men convicted of that assassination were exonerated in 2021. So Muhammad A. Aziz and the late Khalil Islam have had their names cleared. Too bad about all the time they served in prison.

 

Three years after the murder of Malcolm X, Rev. Martin Luther King was killed on a motel balcony in Memphis by a sniper. Only two months later, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's presidential run ended when he was shot to death in a Los Angeles hotel. It was a shock, but in the crazy year of violence that 1968 truly was, it was not all that surprising. Unfortunately, at the time the official stories on those three shootings were widely doubted, even disbelieved. 

In the ‘60s more public scrutiny of how those assassination probes were conducted might have led to different conclusions. More importantly, even if more sunlight into those investigations failed to produce different outcomes, at least Americans might have felt better about the good faith of the processes.

Instead, it seemed then the authorities generally believed the American people didn't really have a right to see the whole truth. Too often it seems to have been decided on high that the public was better off not knowing some things. Shielding the citizenry from such information is the sort of thinking that went on during world wars, with spies lucking about. 

In the 1960s, perhaps as part of the Cold War, the public more or less expected its government to routinely withhold all sorts of secrets. That, whether the public liked it, or not. 

Eventually, it took a series of brutal revelations to snap many Americans out of blithely accepting an over-abundance of secrecy:

• The My Lai Massacre horrors.

• The publishing of the Pentagon Papers.

• The Watergate Scandal hearings.

• The Iran-Contra Scandal hearings.

• The bogus justification for invading Iraq. 

As those events paraded by, the USA steadily morphed into a nation of cynics. Now, those of us who recognize the damage that's been done by official lies know better. However, we were dead wrong to have ever tolerated such skullduggery in the name of keeping America safe.

*

In 1997 Sen. Moynihan’s book, “Secrecy: The American Experience,” was published. In the opening chapter he wrote:

In the United States, secrecy is an institution of the administrative state that developed during the great conflicts of the twentieth century. It is distinctive primarily in that it is all but unexamined. There is a formidable literature on regulation of the public mode, virtually none on secrecy. Rather, there is a considerable literature, but it is mostly secret. Indeed, the modes of secrecy remain for the most part -- well, secret.

On inquiry there are regularities: patterns that fit well enough with what we have learned about other forms of regulation. But there has been so little inquiry that the actors involved seem hardly to know the set roles they play. Most important, they seem never to know the damage they can do. This is something more than inconveniencing to the citizen. At times, in the name of national security, secrecy has put that very security in harm's way.

Sixty-two years after the murder of JFK, it’s high time to stop putting up with unnecessary secrecy in government at all levels. After all, as we have learned, secrets that invite speculation and provoke conspiracy theories serve a nefarious agenda just as well as a lie. 

Justice Louis D. Brandeis famously wrote: 

Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.

Today, to trust official conclusions, we need plenty of Brandeis' sunlight. We not only need investigations, we need to be able to see into the investigations. So, as we saw in 2022's January 6th Committee hearings in the House of Representatives, televised testimony at Congressional hearings is mostly, a good thing, regardless of what outcome follows.

Lastly, for democracy to have a chance of working properly and delivering good government, we the voters need to know whose money is paying for what. Knowing who paid for what always helps. Always. 

Anyway: Single bullet theory, you say?

In Richmond, that was an apt young-again name for a punk era band. 

-- 30 --

VCU clobbers Coppin State

Final score: VCU 101, Coppin State 58.
Location: Siegel Center
Updated records: VCU 3-2. Coppin 1-7. 

In a nutshell: After losing a tough game on the road -- NC State 85, VCU 79 -- the Rams needed to play an easy home game against a cream puff. So, the hapless Coppin State team was just what the doctor ordered. All 12 of Coach Phil Martelli's players got in the game and they all scored points.  

Some noteworthy VCU stats: Three Rams led the team's scoring with 11 points each. They were: Brandon Jennings, Keyshawn Mitchell, Jordan Tillery. On defense VCU had 13 steals and four blocks.  

However, perhaps the most telling statistic was that VCU's bench scored just as many points (58) as did Coppin's entire team. 

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

●      Freshman guard Jordan Tillery tied for the team lead with a season-high 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor.

●      Junior forward Keyshawn Mitchell scored 11 points to mark his most in a VCU uniform while adding three rebounds and an assist in 24 minutes.

●      VCU sophomore guard Brandon Jennings had a strong performance with 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 19 minutes. He also tied a career-high with four steals on the defensive end.

●      Junior forward Lazar Djokovic corralled a season-high eight rebounds to lead the Rams. He also set a season-high mark with three assists and added two blocks.

●      Junior guard Tyrell Ward tied a season-high with five rebounds in 17 minutes of action for the Black and Gold. He also added nine points and recorded a plus-minus rating of +25.

●      All 12 VCU players to touch the floor scored at least four points, while 10 of the 12 players scored at least seven..

●      The Rams swiped 13 steals as a team to increase their season total to 50 in five games..

●      Senior forward Barry Evans had a strong performance as he led the team with four assists to supplement eight points and five rebounds in 20 minutes..

●      The Rams dominated the turnover battle as they scored 22 points off of 17 Eagles turnovers. VCU committed just eight turnovers.

●      VCU shot 56 percent (34-of-61) from the floor, while holding Coppin State to 37-percent (23-of-62) shooting. The Eagles were just 6-of-19 from 3-point range.

●      The Rams never trailed in the contest. 

●      The Rams have scored 100+ points twice this season. This marks the first time since the 2006-07 season that they scored 100+ points in multiple games.

●      With Tillery and Mitchell scoring in double-figures, the Rams now have 11 players to score 10+ points during the season.

●      VCU’s 13 steals are its most in a single-game since Jan. 21, 2025 when they swiped 17 at Rhode Island.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: The Rams travel to the Bahamas as they compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis. VCU opens play against South Florida on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 2:30 p.m. That game will air nationally on ESPN2

-- 30 --

Wolfpack Outlasts Rams

Final score: NC State 85, VCU 79.
Location: Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
Updated records: (No 25) NC State 4-0. VCU 2-2.

In a nutshell: The VCU Rams and the NC State Wolfpack engaged in a pretty evenly matched slugfest. It was the sort of game one might expect to see in mid-season. The nationally ranked home team won, but the game was closer than the score might suggest. State led for nearly all of the way, but VCU kept it close.   

Some noteworthy VCU stats: Barry Evans had himself a night. Evans scored 18 pts. He made good on 6 of his 12 field goal attempts, including 3-of-7 from 3-point distance. He also grabbed 5 rebounds, made 3 assists and blocked a shot. Jadrian Tracey scored 16 points, dished for 7 assists and snatched 4 boards. Lazar Djokovic scored 13 pts. and grabbed 5 rebounds. 

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

·      VCU trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but battled back to tie the game at 65-65 on layup by Tracey with 9:20 remaining. But the Rams were unable to get over the hump. VCU had a number of opportunities down the stretch to re-tie the game or take the lead, but were unable to connect. Tracey buried a 3-pointer from the right wing to pull the Rams within 78-76 with 1:59 remaining. But the Rams next three possessions were two missed 3-pointers and a turnover. In the final 1:37, the Wolfpack connected on 7-of-8 from the free throw line to secure the win.

·      NC State converted 22-of-27 from the free throw line in the second half alone, and were 27-of-33 from the stripe overall. VCU finished 12-of-18 at the line.

·      The Wolfpack owned a 45-31 rebounding advantage and shot 48 percent (25-of-54) from the field.

·      The Rams forced 17 turnovers in the contest.

·      ACC Preseason Player of the Year Darrion Williams led all players with 28 points and seven rebounds for NC State.

BOXSCORE

 

NEXT UP:

On Saturday, November 22, VCU will return to the Siegel Center to face Coppin State. Tipoff at 7:30 p.m. TV: MASN.or ESPN+.   

Rams Trample Peacocks

Final score: VCU 78, Saint Peter's  61.

Location: Siegel Center

Updated records: VCU 2-1. Saint Peter's 1-2. 

 

In a nutshell: VCU Head Coach Phil Martelli played 10 men and five of them scored in double figures. However, the most obvious difference in the two teams' final scores stemmed from the bench points margin: VCU 36 pts.-to-St. Peter's 18 pts.

 

Noteworthy VCU stats: Tyrell Ward 15 pts., 3 rebounds. Terrence Hill 13 pts., Barry Evans 11 pts., 8 rebounds, 4 assists. Lazar Djokovic 11 pts., 5 rebounds, 1 assist. Jadrian Tracey 11 pts., 4 rebounds, 3 assists.

At the 13:14 mark, Hill sank a trey and VCU took a 16-to-13 lead. The Rams never trailed after that. In all, VCU led for over 35 minutes of the contest. The Rams' superior athleticism and deep bench served them well. 

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

●      Senior guard Jadrian Tracey delivered another steady performance for the Rams, finishing with 11 points, including 2-of-4 from deep and 5-of-6 at the line, while adding four rebounds and four assists.

●      Ward connected on 5-of-11 from the field, as well as 3-for-3 from the free throw line. He grabbed three rebounds.

●      Senior forward Barry Evans delivered an 11-point, eight-rebound, four-assists effort for the Black and Gold, while junior forward Lazar Djokovic supplied 11 points, five rebounds and four blocks in 30 minutes of action.

●      Brent Bland led all players with 25 points for the Peacocks.

●      VCU shot 48 percent (11-of-23) in the first half on the way to a 41-32 lead. The Rams opened the second half on a 10-2 run, highlighted by a Djokovic dunk and a 3-pointer from the right corner by sophomore guard Ahmad Nowell to stretch their lead to 51-34 with 16:02 remaining.

●      The Rams held Saint Peter’s to 31 percent (19-of-61) shooting in the contest, including 6-of-24 from 3-point range. Bland finished 8-of-16 from the field, while the rest of the Peacocks were a combined 11-of-45 (24 percent).

●      After a back-and-forth opening stretch that saw the game tied 13-13, the Rams went on a 20-6 run, capped by an Evans fast-break layup, to build a 33-19 lead with 8:12 left in the first half

●      Saint Peter’s closed the gap to 64-55 with 6:44 to play, but VCU responded immediately with five straight points from Evans and Ward to push the margin back to 69-55 at the 6:22 mark. 

●      VCU forced 14 Saint Peter’s turnovers and blocked five shots.

●      The Rams led for 35:29 Wednesday night.

●      VCU shot 35 free throws in the contest, connecting on 26 (74 percent).

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU visits N.C. State on Monday, Nov. 17. Tipoff at 7 p.m.. The game will air on the ACC Network, with radio coverage on WRNL 910 AM

-- 30 --.

Trusting Tim Kaine: Part Two

 -- "I believe we can win this critical ACA battle if we fight for it together. 

We won’t win it if we turn to in-fighting."

-- Tim Kaine

Note: To read Trusting Tim Kaine: Part One click here. 

*

They say, "every dog has his day." Yes, and styles always change. 

All that said, in politics leaders reman popular for only so long. 

Next year, I believe the Democrats in the US Senate should choose a new leader. I believe one of the best ways to gather and focus the energy and momentum of November 4's landslide victories will be to make room for new leadership in lots of places under 2026's big tent. That means it's about time to replace New York's Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Moreover, this is the time for leaders not too scared of taking a few chances on new strategies. Some different tactics. Maybe the best choice to be the new leader in the Senate would be a savvy senator some Democrats are mad at right now -- Virginia's Sen. Tim Kaine. 

It looks to me like Kaine and his cohorts came to understand that the Republicans in the Senate were never going to agree to extending Obamacare tax credits while the federal government was in shutdown mode.  . 

Trump's base simply doesn't care how many kids might starve to death without SNAP in working order. Actually, the MAGA cultists liked dealing out pain and anxiety. Trump surely did and does. So, continuing to hold out for something that would never, ever, happen was somewhat like playing chicken with a crazy, suicidal opponent. . 

Truth be told, the Gang of Eight Democrats had very little leverage to work with. Frankly, I'm a little surprised and impressed the Gang got as much in the way of concessions as they did from the cruel Republicans. 

Nonetheless,, I'm expecting that as the coming weeks go by, more and more people in Congress, as well as the voters, will see the wisdom and courage of the Gang's deal-cutting maneuver to reopen the government and give the Democrats a chance to present their healthcare insurance case on the Senate floor next month. No, it's not a big chance. But it's a chance. 

Note: Here's the text of the message Tim Kaine emailed to his constituency regarding the 

Gang of Eight's Shutdown Ending Deal: .

Friends,

  
Last night I voted for a deal to reopen the government, and I want you to hear directly from me about why.

I said from the start that to earn my vote, we needed to be on a path toward fixing Republicans’ health care mess, and we needed to protect the federal workforce. I voted “no” with my Democratic colleagues for 40 days because the GOP didn’t put anything on the table I could in good conscience vote “yes” on.

But over those 40 days, 2 million federal employees — and more than 300,000 in Virginia — were suffering. They missed two paychecks, with another around the corner. These workers, along with the millions of federal contractors who have been going without pay, have families that depend on them.

Beyond the pain of missing paychecks, hundreds of thousands of furloughed workers were wondering if they were next in line to be fired by Trump.

Tens of millions of SNAP recipients were going without benefits they rely on to put food on the table.
Air traffic was suffering nationwide — with real safety dangers.

And after 40 days, there was still no path to an Affordable Care Act vote. Republicans would not even debate an ACA fix until the government reopened — period.

So we negotiated for what we could get.

Last night’s vote paved the way to reopen the government with robust full-year funding for SNAP, WIC, and other important safety net services — because we just can’t let people go hungry.

All furloughed workers will return to work with backpay — so people can pay their mortgages, rent, and heating bills.

All the federal workers who Trump baselessly fired will be reinstated — and no federal agencies will be allowed to conduct mass layoffs for the duration of this funding bill.

Since Trump’s second term began, our federal workers have been constantly trashed. Tormented. Illegally fired. This deal is a big win for them.

Finally, last night’s vote gave us a path for an ACA fix to stop a devastating rise in premiums — something Republicans weren’t even willing to consider before last night. It’s not a guarantee, but I believe we can win this critical ACA battle if we fight for it together. We won’t win it if we turn to in-fighting.

And at a bare minimum, this fight will show the American people with complete clarity who is standing with them to make health care affordable, and who isn’t. That’s the real fight we need to focus on in 2026.

As we move forward, I will keep working toward a long-term government spending plan that supports Virginians and all Americans.

Thanks for reading.

—Tim Kaine

One of the most hopeful and significant things about the turnout for the 2025 Blue Wave elections was that there was a sharp increase in young voters. The young leaders that were most responsible for making that happen should be recognized and put in leadership positions within the Democratic Party. 

Meanwhile, Tim Kaine is a problem-solver. I trust his judgment.  

-- 30 ---