Rams pull away from Dukes in second half

For the fifth straight game Nick George (Manchester, England) led VCU in scoring, throwing down 22 points as the Rams broke away from James Madison for a 71-55 win in front of 7,712 people, a record-setting crowd at the Siegel Center.

After falling behind 20-4 early in the first game against the Rams Jan. 12, the Dukes kept this game close throughout the first half, never trailing by more than seven points. The Rams’ offense struggled to find a consistent shot during the first half connecting on 31 percent. Despite the shooting woes however, the Rams played through seven lead changes to take the lead for the final time, 28-26, on George’s 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the first half.

The 3-pointer ended a shaky half for the Rams offensively, but in hindsight it previewed what was to come in the second half: buckets.

"One thing I’m not concerned about on this team is scoring," said head coach Jeff Capel.

Even with the Dukes shooting nearly 50 percent in the second half, the Rams pulled away, outscoring their opponent by 14 in the half. The offensive burst came from the Rams’ ability to capitalize on open looks at the basket and taking advantage of the Dukes’ zone defense, as opposed to the first half when shots tended to go off a little right or a little left.

Scoring changed from problem to solution for the Rams, stroking on 66 percent. The offensive turnaround started with the first play of the second half with the team’s second-leading scorer, B.A. Walker (Onancock/Nandua High School), driving to the basket and drawing a foul. Walker’s first half was unimpressive, going 2-of-10 from the field, but he opened up the second half with an aggressive mind-set.

"My teammates told me to keep shooting," Walker said. "Just to get a bucket whether it’s a foul shot, try to get an easy bucket."

The Rams added this win to their spotless home record, now at 9-0, through a variety of solid team contributions. Jesse Pellot-Rosa (Richmond/George Wythe High School) finished with 12 points and five rebounds, and Walker had 12 points and three assists. Guard Jamal Shuler (Jacksonville, N.C.) and forward Eric Davis (Philadelphia, Pa.) gave the Rams bench scoring, with Shuler dropping in 10 points and Davis adding nine points. Forward Sam Faulk (Fayetteville, N.C.) helped solidify the paint, grabbing five rebounds and adding two blocks while guards Alexander Harper (Columbia, S.C.) and freshman Eric Maynor (Fayetteville, N.C.) distributed the ball dishing out six and four assists respectively

Juwann James paced the Dukes with 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Daniel Freeman added 11 points. Even though the Dukes shot 47 percent in the second half, they attempted just six 3-pointers, relying on the defense that failed to get them back in the game. The Dukes continue to skid, now on an eight game losing streak and falling to 3-13 overall.

The Rams are on the road against the Delaware Blue Hens on Jan. 26, and the Georgia State Panthers on Jan. 28.