Rams shooting blanks as Billikens prevail, 78-to-69

Final Score: Saint Louis 78, VCU 69.

Location: Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis.

Updated Records: Saint Louis 13-8, 6-2 in A-10. VCU 16-5, 6-2 in A-10. 

In a nutshell: Your team just trounced a pesky conference rival that had beaten your team four straight times. By the way, the next opponent on your team's schedule is a home contest with its crosstown rival on Feb. 1. On top of those two somewhat distracting factors, your team entered Tuesday night's road game riding its own six-game winning streak, a streak that happened to include a convincing victory over the Saint Louis Billikens just two weeks ago.

Uh-oh, that all sounds like a tailormade formula for a "trap game." And it surely was for your team -- that is, if your team last night on Chaifetz Arena's floor was the cold-handed VCU Rams. 

This time against the revenge-minded Billikens, VCU shot a woeful 33 percent (22-of-67) from the field. From 3-point range it was worse -- ouch! -- just 16 percent (5-of-31)!  

Stats: Zeb Jackson and Phil Russell both scored 15 points, but it wasn't nearly enough to escape the jinx of a bona fide trap game. Max Shulga and Joe Bamisile added 14 and 11 points, respectfully. However, the Rams' rather porous defense allowed hot-handed Gibson Jimerson to lead all scorers with 26 points for the focused Billikens. 

OK, what can your team do about losing a trap game on the road to a pretty good team?

Move on. 

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

• Back-to-back buckets by Shulga and Russell in the final minute of the first half sent the Rams to the locker room with a 31-28 lead. 
• VCU was outrebounded 23-13 in the second half. 
• The Billikens made 39 trips to the free throw line and connected on 30. 
• VCU took a 51-49 lead with 9:02 left on a Jackson transition 3-pointer from the wing. But Saint Louis responded with a traditional three-point play by Jimerson on the next possession, followed by a 3-pointer by Isaiah Swope to assume a 55-51 advantage with 8:27 on the clock.
• The Billikens would not trail again, and would make 17-of-21 at the free throw line in the final four minutes to keep the Black and Gold at bay.  
•  The Rams collected 15 offensive rebounds and owned a 17-2 advantage in second-chance points. 
•  The Rams lead the all-time series with the Billikens 16-to-6. 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will face its most significant rival, Richmond, on Sat., Feb. 1, at 4 p.m., at the Siegel Center. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

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.

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VCU trounces URI on Rhody's floor!

Final Score: VCU 81, Rhode Island 57.
Location: Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I.
Updated Records: VCU 15-4, 5-1 in A-10. Rhode Island 14-5, 3-4 in A-10.

 

In a nutshell: In winning it fifth consecutive tilt, VCU probably played its most complete game of the season. That convincing victory came on the road facing a tough team with a then-14-4 record. VCU head coach Ryan Odom's Rams appeared to be a well-coached, confident outfit. 

Now, with over half of the season in the rearview mirror, two particular questions are looming: with the players' roles pretty much set, how many more such "complete games" at both ends of the floor can the Rams play? Moreover, has Odom's surging VCU team peaked, or can it get even better? (Hint: take a look at freshman Luke Bamgboye's statistic line below.)   

Ram stats: Joe Bamisile scored a game-high 24 points. He converted 10-of-18 attempts from the floor. And, he grabbed three rebounds. Max Shulga scored 15 points, got three boards and a block. Jack Clark scored 12 points. Zeb Jackson added his 11 points. And, Bamgboye scored six points, snatched nine rebounds, made four steals and blocked three shots. 

The game's best stat: VCU's defense forced 27 turnovers. So far, that's the most by any A-10 team this season. 

By the way, did I mention the surging VCU Rams have won five straight games? 

 

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

· VCU held Rhody to 39 percent (19-of-49) shooting in the game, including 30 percent (7-of-30) in the second half.

· The Black and Gold’s lead was 42-40 with 13:38 remaining, but VCU outscored Rhode Island 39-17 the rest of the way. Shulga buried a 3-pointer and Bamisile connected on back-to-back floaters in the lane to help push VCU’s advantage to 55-43 with 10:35 left. A short time later, a Shulga traditional three-point play helped ignite a 15-0 VCU run that pushed the margin into blowout territory at 71-48 with 5:11 on the clock.

· VCU built an 18-point first-half lead, but watched as Thomas fueled a 19-2 Rhode Island run that closed the host Rams to within 35-34 with 1:44 remaining in the half. But VCU steadied the ship with a pair of Bamisile free throws and an authoritative drive and slam dunk by Jackson on the last play of the period to take a 40-34 lead into the break.

· VCU redshirt sophomore forward Obi Okafor scored his first collegiate points on a pair of free throws with 51 seconds left.

· Sebastian Thomas led Rhode Island with 19 points.

· VCU has won five straight against Rhode Island and leads the all-time series 12-11.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host St. Bonaventure on Fri., Jan. 24. Tipoff for this payback game is at 9 p.m. 

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Philly slugfest: VCU prevails over Saint Joe's

Final Score: VCU 78, Saint Joseph’s 69.
Location: Hagan Arena in Philadelphia.
Updated Records: VCU 14-4 (4-1 in A-10). Saint Joseph’s 11-7, 2-3 in A-10.

 

In a nutshell: To say the refs let 'em play in this slugfest is an understatement. Yes, the zebras allowed a lot of contact at both ends of the floor.

This was a tough road assignment the Rams could easily have lost. The steady improvement in confidence Coach Ryan Odom's team has shown in its four-game winning streak helped a lot to stiff-arm the Hawks' late rally.  

Philadelphia-native Jack Clark scored 18 points. He hit 5-of-8 attempts from the floor, including 3-of-4 treys. Plus he snatched seven rebounds. Phillip Russell scored 16 points, making good on 7-of-10 attempts from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. 

Max Shulga added 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds and made three assists. Zeb Jackson scored 14 points and pulled down seven boards. Joe Bamisile added 11 points.

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

· The Hawks tied the game at 60-60 on a Derek Simpson 3-pointer with 6:21 on the clock. But Clark drilled threes on back-to-back VCU possessions – the second coming off a Shulga offensive rebound – to give the Rams a 66-60 advantage with 4:53 remaining. The Rams would not trail again, and would expand their lead to 74-64 with 54 seconds left on a pair of Jackson free throws.

· The Rams shot 46 percent (10-of-22) from beyond the arc, while limiting Saint Joseph’s to 22 percent (8-of-36) shooting from deep.

· The Black and Gold held the Hawks to 33 percent (24-of-72) shooting on the evening.

· Brown scored seven points to spark a 10-0 Saint Joseph’s run in the first half that erased a 30-20 VCU lead. But the Rams answered with an 8-2 burst, including a drive and score by Jackson, to take a 38-32 lead into the locker room.

· VCU built its lead to 11, at 52-41 on a pull-up 3-pointer by Russell with 12:59 remaining, but the Hawks did not go quietly. Xzayvier Brown led all players with 22 points for Saint Joseph’s.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: On the road, again, VCU will face Rhode Island on Tue., Jan. 21. Tipoff at 7 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network.

-- 30 --

Bamisile's hot shooting hand burns Billikens

Final Score: VCU 78, Saint Louis 62.
Location: Siegel Center.
Updated Records: VCU 13-4, 3-1 in A-10. Saint Louis 10-7, 3-1 in A-10. 

In a nutshell: There isn't all that much Rams opponents can do when Joe Bamisile is in the midst of one of his hot streaks. For instance: on his way to a 17-point first half performance, the Billikens chased him around the floor trying to guard him. Petty much, all they got for their effort was an up close view of his spectacular athleticism with dunks and 3-pointers. Not to mention his nifty lefthanded moves in the paint. Bamisile, who led all scorers, finished with 23 points, sinking 8-of-17 from the field.

More Rams stats: Jack Clark scored 12 points, making good on 5-for-9 of his shots. Max Shulga dished for nine assists on top of the 11 points he scored. Brandon Jennings hit a pair of 3-pointers on his way to scoring 10 points. Jennings also grabbed a team-high six rebounds. A sellout crowd (7,637) watched the Rams win the battle of the boards, 38-to-26.

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

   

· VCU outrebounded Saint Louis 22-4 on the offensive glass. The Rams outscored the Billikens 19-7 in second-chance opportunities.

· The Black and Gold also forced the Billikens into a season-high 19 turnovers and scored 27 points off those miscues.

· VCU held Saint Louis to 32 percent (6-of-19) shooting and a season-low 20 in the second half. The Billikens misfired on eight of nine second-half 3-point attempts.

· The Rams held guard Gibson Jimerson, the Atlantic 10 Conference’s leading scorer, to 11 points on 2-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Jimerson is also the A-10’s all-time leader 3-pointers.

· The Black and Gold outscored the Billikens 38-16 in the paint. 

· VCU went on a 10-0 run from over a three-minute stretch midway through the second half that consisted of two Jennings made 3-pointers and a Bamisile breakaway dunk to expand its lead to 66-51.

· The Rams forced Saint Louis guard Isaiah Swope into a season-high eight turnovers Swope came into the contest only averaging 2.5 turnovers per game.

· The Rams owned a 26-2 advantage in bench scoring, with guard Michael Belle contributing with six points and forward Christian Fermin notching eight.

· The Rams led for 38:18 of the contest.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will face Saint Joseph’s on Fri., Jan. 17, in Philadelphia. Tipoff at 7 p.m. TV: ESPNU.

-- 30 --

Second half burst boosts VCU past Fordham

Final Score: VCU 73, Fordham 61.
Location: Siegel Center.
Updated Records: VCU 12-4, 2-1 in A-10. Fordham 8-8, 0-3 in A-10.

In a nutshell: Following the halftime break VCU went on an 8-to-0 run that established a nine-point working margin. That run boosted the homestanding Rams to what ended up being a 49-point avalanche in the second half. That scoring outburst followed what had been a lackluster first half performance that had led to a mere one-point advantage (24-to-23) for the homestanding Rams. 

Missing from this victorious scenario at the Siegel Center were spectators. Due to what was an ongoing running water shutdown ordeal in the City of Richmond, this Atlantic 10 Conference game was played without a crowd of witnesses in the stands. 

Rams key stats: Joe Bamisile scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Bamisile also grabbed six offensive rebounds. Max Shulga scored 16 points, snatched six boards and dished for four assists. 

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

· VCU recorded a season-high 23 offensive rebounds, leading to 25 second-chance points, compared to Fordham’s 13. The Black and Gold outrebounded Fordham 49-33 overall in the contest. 
· VCU started the second half on an 8-0 over the first 1:43, bookended by buckets from graduate forward Jack Clark, to extend its lead to 32-23 out of the break.
· Redshirt sophomore guard Fats Billups’ short turnaround jumper in the lane with 7:04 remaining in the second half pushed VCU to a 16-point lead, its largest of the night.
· Freshman forward Luke Bamgboye notched three blocks Wednesday. His 35 blocks this season are the most by a VCU freshman since Mo Alie-Cox registered 48 during the 2013-14 season. Bamgboye added eight points and seven rebounds.

· Fordham was led by guard Japhet Medor, who scored 19 points.
· VCU improved to 15-1 all-time against Fordham. 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will hosts Saint Louis on Tues., Jan. 14 at the Siegel Center. Tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. It will stream on MASN, CBS6 and ESPN+.

-- 30 --

VCU clobbers Loyola Chicago

Final Score: VCU 84, Loyola Chicago 65.
Location: Chicago, Ill. 
Updated Records: VCU 11-4, 1-1 in A-10. Loyola Chicago 9-5, 0-1 in A-10.

 

In a nutshell: Three particular deciding factors imposed defeat on the Ramblers: Phil Russell's hot hand; the Rams' tenacious, smothering defense in the second half; VCU won the second stanza's battle of the boards in the by a 29-to-12 margin.

VCU stats: Phil Russell scored a game-high 25 points. He made good on 7 of his 11 attempts from the field, which included a key 5-for-8 from 3-point distance. Russell also snatched six rebounds and made two steals. Christian Fermin scored his season-high 14 points and grabbed four rebounds. Zeb Jackson contributed 11 points, including three critical second-half treys. Jack Clark chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds.

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

· Des Watson led the Ramblers with 20 points.

· VCU trailed 40-37 at the half, but held Loyola to 22 percent (6-of-27) shooting in the second half. The Ramblers were 3-of-14 from 3-point range after the break. 

· The Rams used 18 offensive rebounds to rack up a 30-5 advantage in second-chance points.

· VCU outrebounded Loyola 40-28, overall.

· VCU shot 49 percent (30-of-61) from the field in the game, including 38 percent (9-of-24) from beyond the arc.

· The Rams trailed by as many as five points, at 51-46, with 12:05 left. But Clark converted back-to-back buckets to give the Black and Gold a 54-52 advantage with 9:22 remaining. Jackson buried back-to-back 3-pointers a short time later to extend VCU’s edge to 60-54 at the 7:36 mark.

· VCU dropped the hammer with a 16-0 blitz – including nine points from Russell – to put the game out of reach at 78-59 with 2:05 showing.

· The Rams are 3-0 all-time against Loyola Chicago, including 2-0 at Gentile Arena.

· VCU outscored the Ramblers 40-22 in the paint.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: On Wed., Jan. 8, VCU will return to the Siegel Center to host Fordham. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. TV on MASN and ESPN+.

-- 30 --

Bonnies edge Rams, 77-to-75

Final Score: St. Bonaventure 77, VCU 75.
Location: St. Bonaventure.
Updated Records: St. Bonaventure 13-1 (1-0 in A-10). VCU 10-4 (0-1 in A-10).

 

In a nutshell: At the 17.7-second mark on the clock, VCU's Phillip Russell sank a nifty eight-foot floater to tie the game at 75 apiece. In spite of Russell's season-high 26 points, St. Bonaventure's Melvin Council's driving runner dropped through the rim with 3.3 seconds left in the contest, to provide the winning margin for the Bonnies. It was the 16th and final lead-change in a back and forth tilt that had 10 tie scores.

VCU stats: Russell connected on 10-of-16 shots from the field, including 6-of-12 from 3-point distance. Joe Bamisile contributed 13 points and eight boards. Max Shulga scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished for four assists.

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

· Christian Fermin and Zeb Jackson both added six points coming off the bench for the Rams.

· Noel Brown and Council sparked St. Bonaventure' offense with 20 points each.

· Following a timeout, Council drove to the right side of the lane and scooped a ball around two defenders for a bucket and the lead. The Rams were unable to connect on a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.

· The Bonnies shot 50 percent (29-of-58) from the field in the game and outscored the Rams 48-32 in the paint.

· St. Bonaventure was able to turn 11 VCU turnovers into 11 points, and the Bonnies used 11 offensive rebounds to cash in 15 second-chance points.

· Bona led 70-67, but Russell tied the game at the 3:20 mark with his sixth 3-pointer of the day. Lajae Jones briefly gave the Bonnies a 72-70 advantage with a tip-in, but Bamisile buried a 3-pointer with 1:50 showing to push the Rams in front 73-72. Bona regained the lead on the ensuing possession, when Council rebounded his own miss for a layup.

· VCU outrebounded St. Bonaventure 33-30 and scooped up 11 offensive rebounds of its own.

· The Rams shot 48 percent (28-of-58) from the field in the contest, including 11-of-31 (36 percent) from beyond the arc.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: On Sat., Jan. 4, VCU will travel to the Windy City for its second A-10 conference game of the season to face Loyola Chicago. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. (EST). The national telecast will be carried by the CBS Sports Network.


-- 30 --

Giving Peace a Chance

Here's my piece about a true story set in Nashville in 1987. It was published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Jan. 7, 2017, under the title, “Shredding magazines, dying comets, and John Lennon.” My title for it was “Giving Peace a Chance,” but they didn't opt to use it. For those who can't see the piece at the RT-D (link above), the text is below. 

*

With the recent passing of the 44th anniversary of his death, I couldn’t help but wonder what the founder of The Beatles — John Lennon, a master of word-play and sarcasm — would have to say about today’s music, art and politics. It would be anybody’s guess. After all, in his nearly 20 years as a public figure Lennon’s knack for changing before our eyes was dazzling. There’s no reason to think such a restless soul wouldn’t have kept on changing ... and commenting.

In February 1964, The Beatles made their initial appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. Those two Sunday nights were less than three months after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Surely, the somber mood of the nation, still trying to regain its balance, had something to do with why those fresh-sounding Beatles tunes cut through the fog of melancholia with such verve. Notably, there’s been no explosion in American pop music since then equivalent to the impact of Liverpool’s Fab Four.

Then, on Dec. 8, 1980, the murder of moody John Lennon had an impact on the public few would have predicted. It was as though a world leader, or a family member, had been gunned down on the street in Manhattan.

Lennon’s obvious contributions as a songwriter and musician were huge. Yet, it was his sense of humor and delight in taking risks that really set him apart from many of his celebrity counterparts, some of whom toyed with politics and social causes as if they were hairdos or dance crazes.

With the Vietnam War still underway in the early ’70s, President Richard M. Nixon looked at Lennon and saw in him a charismatic working-class hero with the power to galvanize a generation’s anti-establishment sentiments. Fearing such potential, the Nixon administration did everything it could to hound Lennon out of the USA.

The details of that nasty little campaign are just as bewildering as some of the better known abuses that flowed from the Dirty Tricks Department in the White House during those scandal-ridden days.

With so many years of perspective on Lennon’s death, it seems to me now that even if that particular gunman (a person I choose not to name because I refuse to add in any way to his celebrity) hadn’t pulled the trigger, it could easily have been another one. Like the comets of each generation are bound to do, sometimes Lennon burned too bright for his own good.

Accordingly, with assassinations in mind, I’m reminded of a news item that ran in the Nashville Banner on Feb. 24, 1987.

The article’s lede was this: “Two Nashville musicians remained free on $500 bond today after they went on a magazine-shredding tear ... to protest People magazine’s current cover story.”

The two musicians were Mike McAdam and Gregg Wetzel. As members of the Good Humor Band they were fixtures in Richmond’s rock ’n’ roll scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

By the time of the attacks on the magazines, the pair had moved on and established themselves as respected sidemen in Nashville — McAdam on guitar and Wetzel on piano.

In a nutshell, Mike and Gregg became incensed at seeing the magazine with a cover story about John Lennon’s murderer. They felt spotlighting the killer in that way might encourage another deranged wannabe to take gun in hand to hunt down another comet.

So the boys fortified themselves with an adequate dose of what-it-takes — legend has it they were drinking out of an Elvis decanter — and set out on a mission to destroy the cover of every copy of the offensive publication that they could find on the strip.

Naturally, this sort of endeavor is best undertaken in the wee hours. In the course of their fifth stop, at a Nashville convenience store, the avenging angels were apprehended by the cops and charged with “malicious mischief.”

Shortly afterward, in a interview about the incident, McAdam said, “If another guy like (name withheld again) sees that, he might think he can get on the cover of People magazine by killing a politician or artist.”

Bravo!

Primary among the reasons John Lennon was selected and stalked by his murderer was that Lennon did indeed have a rare ability to move people. In that sense, he was slain for somewhat the same reason as political figures such as Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. Two thousand years ago, wasn’t Jesus Christ taken out of the game for much the same reason?

It’s always been dangerous to challenge the established order. To risk changing. To give peace a chance. Indeed, we may be entering an era in which questioning the wisdom of the powers that be will become increasingly more dangerous.

Wouldn’t it be fun to hear what Lennon would have to say today about our rather mock-worthy president-elect?

Although Nixon miscalculated Lennon’s intentions, the soon-to-be-disgraced president was probably right about his potential to focus the anti-establishment sentiments in the air. What Nixon didn’t grasp was that mischief streak aside, Lennon was generally more interested in promoting peace than fomenting revolution.

To flesh out the 36-year-old magazine-cover-shredding yarn, Wetzel recently added, “The cops looked at me and McAdam, decided we weren’t exactly flight risks and entrusted our transport to the pokey with an attractive female officer, all by her lonesome. On the way to the hoosegow, Mickey hit on the cop. True story.”

Peace. 

-- 30 --

Note: The picture of Lennon (a 1975 album cover) in a doorway was borrowed from the Internet.

VCU outruns Wm. & Mary, 90-to-70

Final Score: VCU 90, William & Mary 70.
Location: Siegel Center.
Updated Records: VCU 10-3, William & Mary 5-7.

In a nutshell: In spite of how much of a mismatch it was expected to be (VCU was an 18.5-point favorite), there were a couple of fairly decent reasons to attend this game. In a ceremony conducted just prior to tipoff, VCU retired the No. 2 jersey of former defensive standout Briante Weber -- a fan favorite at VCU from 2011-15. Weber was a excellent thief; he made a whopping 374 steals in his career, which remains the VCU record. It also still stands as fourth in NCAA history. No Rams player was a more essential cog in the legendary "Havoc" scheme of defense then-head coach Shaka Smart famously used in that era. 

Another pretty good reason for VCU fans to fill The Stu to its seating capacity was that it was the renewal of an old rivalry with William & Mary. This was the first matchup between the Rams and the Tribe since VCU left the Colonial Athletic Association in 2012 to become a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

No doubt, longtime Rams fans in attendance enjoyed the 20-point victory in a fast paced, one-sided contest in which VCU led for nearly thirty-four of its forty minutes. It appeared Sunday afternoon's visitors thought they could run with the Rams. 

Well, as it happened, the visitors were wrong. Rivalry-wise, VCU now leads in the all-time series, 39-12.

Stats: Joe Bamisile scored 20 points. He made good on 9-for-15 from the floor. Jack Clark registered his first double-double of the season. He scored 11 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished for five assists. Other Rams who scored in double figures were Zeb Jackson (14), Max Shulga (13) and Michael Belle (10).

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

● Freshman forward Luke Bamgboye, making his second career start, provided a season-high nine points, five rebounds and four blocked shots for the Rams.

● Gabe Doresy led William & Mary with 16 points.

● VCU put together a 10-2 run, capped by a Bamisile 3-pointer, as well as a 7-2 burst a short time later, to build a 68-48 lead with 11:29 left in the game.

● The Rams trailed 35-34 with 3:49 left in the first half, but used an 8-2 spurt, including a pair of Bamisile buckets, to take a 42-37 lead into the break.

● VCU committed a season-low seven turnovers and handed out a season-high 25 assists.

● VCU outscored William & Mary 58-28 in the paint and 21-3 off fast breaks.

● The Black and Gold scored 21 points off of 19 William & Mary turnovers. VCU’s 25 assists are its most since Nov. 13, 2017, when it dished out 26 against North Florida.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will begin kick its A-10 Conference play when it visits St. Bonaventure on Tues., Dec. 31. Tipoff at 2 p.m. That contest will air on ESPN+

-- 30 --

Dent drops 40 points on Rams as Lobos prevail

Final Score: New Mexico 78, VCU 71.
Location: The Pit in Albuquerque.
Updated Records: VCU 9-3, New Mexico 9-3.

In a nutshell: Too much Donovan Dent. Period.

It has been over 20 years since an opposing player scored 40 or more points on the Rams. The Lobos' superstar guard made good on 14-of-26 shots, while shooting from an array of locations with a variety of shots. Dent was simply unstoppable. 

VCU's shambling semblance of a defense watched it happen. More than enough said.

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

·      Max Shulga was held scoreless in the first half. Then, after the break, he connected on 6-of-9 attempts from the floor, including 3-of-6 from the 3-point line, on the way to a team-high 20 points. He added two steals.

·      Graduate guards Phillip Russell (13 points), Joe Bamisile (12) and Zeb Jackson (10) all reached double figures for the Black and Gold.

·      Sophomore forward Michael Belle also kicked in six points and five rebounds for the Rams.

·      New Mexico pieced together an extended 20-6 run, punctuated by eight straight points from Dent, to take its largest lead of the game at 51-36 with 15:43 remaining.

·      Back-to-back threes by Jackson kicked off a 16-5 VCU run over the next four minutes to cut the Lobo lead to 56-52 with 11:54 on the clock. But Dent came to New Mexico’s rescue again, scoring seven points during a 9-3 burst that extended the margin to 73-61 with 4:49 left.

·      The Lobos outrebounded VCU 47-33, including 16-7 on the offensive glass. New Mexico owned a 16-8 advantage in second-chance points.

·      New Mexico outscored the Rams 44-26 in the paint.

·      VCU converted just 13-of-24 free throws and shot 5-of-20 from 3-point range in the second half. 

BOXSCORE

 

NEXT UP: VCU will face William & Mary on Sun., Dec. 22 at home. Tipoff at 2 p. m. TV on MASN and ESPN+. A pregame ceremony to retire the No. 2 jersey of Rams star Briante Weber will take place.

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VCU pulls away late from Colorado St., 76-to-68

Final Score: VCU 76, Colorado State 68.
Location: Henderson, Nev.
Updated Records: VCU 9-2, Colorado State 5-5.

 

In a nutshell: Couldn't see the game (it was televised on BallerTV) , but from what I heard on the radio it was good to gather that VCU finished the game off well. It had been a close contest most of the way.

Stats: Joe Bamisile scored a game-high 25 points. Max Shulga scored 20 points. (See the boxscore for more.)

 

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

·      Bamisile connected on 8-of-16 attempts from the floor, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, on the way to his fifth 20-point effort of the year. He also corralled nine rebounds, including five offensive boards.

·      Shulga recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Black and Gold. He finished 7-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

·      Redshirt sophomore guard Fats Billups III provided a boost off the bench for VCU with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while graduate forward Jack Clark added six points and six rebounds.

·      Nique Clifford led Colorado State with 12 points and 10 rebounds. 

·      CSU took a 61-60 lead on a Keshawn Williams bucket with 6:53 on the clock, but Bamisile converted at the rim on a VCU possession that included two offensive rebounds, for a 62-61 edge at the 6:15 mark. VCU would not trail again, and Bamisile hit a pair of 3-pointers in the waning moments to help extend the Black and Gold lead to 73-63 with 1:41 remaining.

·      Shulga and Clark hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spearhead an 8-2 VCU burst to open the second half, which extended the Black and Gold’s one-point halftime lead to a 41-34 margin.

·      Colorado State used a 10-0 run to take a 48-45 lead with 12:36 left, but Billups buried a three from the left corner and Shulga drove for a score to give VCU a 50-48 advantage with 11:54 left.

·      VCU committed a season-low nine turnovers in the game and outrebounded CSU 32-30.

·      The Black and Gold knocked down 11-of-30 (37 percent) 3-pointers and turned Colorado State over 15 times. 

·      Saturday’s game featured nine ties and nine lead changes.

 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: On Wed., Dec. 18, VCU will travel to Albuquerque to face always tough New Mexico in their infamous gym, The Pit. Tipoff at 9 p.m. (EST). 

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VCU coasts to victory over Penn

Final Score: VCU 66, Penn 47.

Location: Siegel Center.

Updated Records: VCU 8-2, Penn 3-7.

 

In a nutshell: Coasted? Yes, the Rams led for 38:10 of the 40-mnute contest. 

It was the third straight easy win at home for Ryan Odom's VCU squad, but the coasting path ends on the road next week (see Next Up below). Easy wins allow a coach to determine individual roles and build the team's confidence. However, the downside of padding the schedule that way can foster the sort of confidence that can turn out to be fool's gold. 

So far, it looks like the Rams can probably score enough points against most opponents. Whether VCU can stop a tough team's offense at the crucial point of a game is quite another matter. Next week we may learn more about that. 

Stats: Joe Bamisile grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with his 23 points and 2 blocks. Max Shulga scored 14 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and made 2 steals. Jack Clark chipped in a 6-point, 10-boards effort.

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

·      The Rams held Penn to 36 percent (18-of-50) shooting from the floor and 19 percent (5-of-27) shooting from beyond the arc. It’s the fourth time this season the Rams have held an opponent to under 20 percent shooting from 3-point range.

·      VCU outrebounded the Quakers 45-29, good for their second-highest rebounding margin of the season. The Rams corralled 18 offensive boards and outscored the Quakers 20-3 on second-chance points.

·      The Black and Gold started the game with a 14-2 run that lasted 5:40 and was capped by a Bamisile step-back 3-pointer that forced the Quakers into an early timeout.

·      Back-to-back possessions that ended in dunks from freshman forward Luke Bamgboye and Bamisile grew the Rams’ lead to 17 with 10:52 remaining in the game.

·      Penn rallied to tie game at 23-23 with 5:28 left in the first, but VCU closed the period on a 13-2 run, punctuated by five straight Russell points, to take a 36-25 lead into the locker room at the break. 

 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: The Rams travel westward to face Colorado State in Las Vegas, Nev., at the Lee’s Family Forum on Sat., Dec. 14. Tipoff at 7:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on BallerTV.

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VCU crushes Georgia Southern, 89-to-54

Final Score: VCU 89, Georgia Southern 54.
Location: Siegel Center.
Updated Records: VCU 7-2, Georgia Southern 5-4.

In the nutshell: For the initial few minutes of the game, VCU trailed and it looked like Georgia Southern might make a game of it. Well, it didn't last long. Once the homestanding Rams snapped out of it, their offense was pretty much unstoppable in what became a 35-point romp. For the second straight tilt VCU Head Coach Ryan Odom gave his bench plenty of time on the floor.  

Rams stats: Max Shulga aggressively erupted for 29 points to lead all scorers. He made good on 7-of-10 attempts from the field. Fiery Phillip Russell contributed 17 points, which included a flawless 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. Coming off the bench Fats Billups scored a crowd-pleasing 14 points and grabbed 6 boards.

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

 

·      Shulga sank 6-of-8 from beyond the 3-point arc on the way to the 12^th 20-point game of his collegiate career.

·      Redshirt sophomore guard Fats Billups III knocked down 4-of-5 attempts from long range.

·      Freshman forward Luke Bamgboye had his most productive outing as a Ram, totaling a season-high five blocks, as well as four points and four rebounds. Bamgboye is averaging 7.6 blocks per 40 minutes this season.

·      Georgia Southern was led by Eugene Brown III, who totaled 13 points for the visiting Eagles.

·      The Rams outscored the Eagles 50-23 in the second half behind a defensive effort that saw VCU hold the Eagles to 20 percent (6-of-30) shooting in the period.

·      VCU held Georgia Southern to just 30 percent (18-of-60) shooting from the field overall Wednesday, including 6-of-21 from the 3-point line.

·       In the opening 8:22 of the game, Shulga knocked down 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, scoring nine of the Rams’ first 11 points.    

 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host Penn on Monday, Dec. 7. Tipoff at 7 p.m. The game will air on MASN and ESPN+.

VCU 103, Elizabeth City St. 58

Final Score: VCU 103, Elizabeth City State 58.
Location: Siegel Center.
Updated Records: VCU 6-2, ECSU 4-3.

 

In the nutshell: A sellout crowd (7,637) looked on as Joey Rodriguez's No. 12 jersey was retired in a ceremony just prior to tipoff. Among his noteworthy stats, Rodriguez ranks third all-time in VCU basketball history in assists and steals.

The game that followed was sort of hard to watch, at times, as the  visiting team was just so outmanned. At least the Rams' bench personnel got to play a lot. And, that's the best thing I can say about what was such a mismatch. 

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

·      Rodriguez, who starred at VCU from 2007-11 and led the team to the 2011 Final Four, saw his No. 12 jersey retired in a pregame ceremony. Rodriguez scored more than 1,300 points as a Ram. 

·      Graduate guard Phillip Russell led all scorers with 18 points for the Rams. He connected on 4-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc in just 18 minutes of play.

·      Freshman guard Terrence Hill Jr. supplied a season-high 16 points – all in the second half - for the Black and Gold.

·      The Rams also received 14 points and three assists from graduate guard Zeb Jackson

·      Reggie Raynor led ECSU with 11 points.

·      VCU held the Vikings to just 31 percent (19-of-61) shooting in the game, including 3-of-15 from 3-point range.

·      The Rams shot 55 percent (16-of-29) in the first half on the way to a 49-26 lead.

·      VCU outscored ECSU 40-14 in the paint and 20-10 off turnovers.

·      The Rams forced 17 turnovers and outrebounded the Vikings 51-34.

·      VCU Head Coach Ryan Odom picked up his 200^th career win Friday. He is 200-122 in 10 seasons as a head coach, including 30-16 with the Rams.

·      The Rams’ bench scored 51 points Friday.

 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host Georgia Southern on Wed., Dec. 4. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. TV: MASN and ESPN+.

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VCU stiff-arms Miami's late rally; Rams 77, 'Canes 70

Final Score: VCU 77, Miami (Fla.) 70.
Location: TD Arena in Charleston, S.C.
Updated Records: VCU 5-2, Miami 3-3.

In a Nutshell: As with its two previous games in Charleston, VCU raced out to a first half lead, it was 42-33 at the break. But the difference this time was that the Rams were able to hang on to withstand a scary second half comeback. VCU never trailed in the scoring. 

Rams stats: Max Shulga scored 18 points, dished for 9 assists and grabbed 8 rebounds. Joe Bamisile scored 22 points, with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Zeb Jackson came off the bench to score 12 points and he pulled down 3 boards for VCU.  

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

·      Lynn Kidd led Miami with 14 points and 10 rebounds. 

·      VCU shot 51 percent (28-of-55) from the floor, while limiting the Hurricanes to just 40 percent (24-of-60) shooting, including 6-of-23 from 3-point territory.

·      The Rams matched a season-low with 11 turnovers, including just three in the first half.

·      Shulga and Bamisile ignited a 13-2 VCU run midway through the first half with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Rams a 33-21 advantage with 6:46 left in the period

·      The Hurricanes pulled within five, at 53-48 on a bucket by Isaiah Johnson-Arigu with 12:24 remaining, but Bamisile collected a steal and took it coast-to-coast and Shulga drilled a triple to spark a 13-2 VCU run to push the Rams out to its largest lead of the day at 66-50 with 8:32 on the clock. 

 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host Elizabeth City State on Fri., Nov. 29. At that game Rams’ great Joey Rodriguez's jersey will be retired in a ceremony at the Siegel Center. Tipoff at approximately 7 p.m. TV: MASN and ESPN+. 

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