Rams thrash Cougars 102-84

The crowd would not stop cheering and B.A. Walker did not stop dropping treys through the first half of Saturday’s game at the Siegel Center.

Although the Rams faced a team that was ranked second in the strong Conference USA in a preseason poll, VCU head coach Anthony Grant stressed that this was just “the next game on the schedule.”

Mission completed as far as the Rams were concerned as they defeated the University of Houston 102-84. It was the first time the team scored 100 points in a game since its 101-76 win over Towson in spring 2004.

After a turnover-laden first seven minutes that saw no team take advantage, Walker’s first 3-pointer of the night electrified the 5,224 fans in attendance.

Feeding off of that energy, the Rams went on a 19-5 run and eventually entered the locker room with a 49-27 lead.

Walker finished the game by tying his career high, shooting six 3-point shots, five of which came in the first half. He put up a total of 26 points.

“I was just doing what coach always tells me to do,” Walker said. “Be aggressive.”

That aggressiveness continued into the second half, as Walker took just over 10 seconds to sink a 18-footer, making sure the momentum stayed in the Rams’ favor.

If the first half belonged to Walker, the second was gift-wrapped by Eric Maynor and Jesse Pellot-Rosa who combined for 24 of VCU’s 53 second half points.

Although Houston’s play improved in the second half, the momentum was too much for the Cougars to beat.

Walker was not the only one with a career night. Maynor grabbed a pair of career highs by scoring 28 points and 11 assists.

“Coach talked with me before the game,” Maynor said. “I just thought that if I could get inside the paint and draw people to me, it would open up looks for my teammates.”

Pellot-Rosa’s 20 points tied a career high that he had set just six days prior against Hampton.

The Rams handled Houston’s star trio of Oliver Lafayette, Lanny Smith, and Robert McKiver, preventing them from ever getting into an offensive rhythm. McKiver seemed especially hard hit by VCU’s rowdy student section, glaring at fans several times while trying to maintain his composure despite the intense pressure of VCU’s press.

“The score was a credit to VCU’s defense,” said Houston head coach Tom Penders, “Usually when teams try to press us we end up putting 100 on them, not the other way around.”

Coach Grant also sung praise for his team’s defense.
“The guys set the tone early. I’m proud of the effort of the entire team,” Grant said. “They had an understanding of what we needed to do, especially defensively and at the 3-point line.”

So dominating was VCU’s game that Houston held a lead for only 30 seconds.

“In my three years at the University of Houston, I can’t remember a team that has impressed me more that Virginia Commonwealth University,” Penders said.

“Credit their defense. They were quick. They pressured us, forced turnovers and turned them into points.”

The Rams next game is Wednesday, Dec. 6 against the University at Albany Great Danes in Albany, N.Y.