Maynor and Shuler combine for 55 in win over Maryland

WASHINGTON, D.C. – One thing was abundantly clear for
the Rams before their match-up with the Maryland Terrapins
in the 13th Annual BB&T Classic: win, or fall to a precarious
3-4 and be labeled a “struggling team.” VCU entered the game
having lost three of its previous four, and although conference
play has not arrived, losing is a habit.

VCU endeared itself to Maryland by knocking
the Terrapins’ archrival Duke out of last
season’s NCAA Tournament. But Sunday, it was
Maryland’s turn to taste defeat at the hands of
the Rams, 85-76, at the Verizon Center.

Each team entered the game from extreme
points of the early season. Maryland had just
defeated Illinois in arguably its best performance this season,
and VCU suffered its worst loss to Hampton. The game’s tempo
was disrupted throughout the first half by sloppy play. Neither
team established a large lead in the first, but Maryland went up
by four early causing the Rams to need a spark. Each time they
did, Jamal Shuler (Jacksonville, N.C./Jacksonville) answered the
call. The senior carried his squad with 19 first-half points on his
way to 30 points, which led all scorers.

Despite Shuler’s onslaught of points, the score was tied 34-34
at halftime. Eric Maynor (Raeford, N.C./Westover), who scored
just two points in the first half, added 23 in the second and led
the team with five assists. His scoring contributions undoubtedly
helped the team, but his leadership and persistence were vital.

“For me, it’s really not about points,” Maynor said. “Coach
Grant just told us to keep being aggressive. I missed some shots
in the first half, but he also told me that they would fall for me
in the second half and to keep playing.”

Coach Grant was pleased with his team’s response after a
64-55 loss at Hampton Thursday night.

“It was really good to see our guys come out and
play with the level of focus they had and play to our
identity,” Grant said, adding that there’s no substitute
for the experience that his veterans bring.

Freshman Joey Rodriguez (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Howell)
scored his only second-half points on a 3-pointer
to give the Rams a 56-52 lead with 9:26 remaining
in the second half. Gary Williams was forced to call
timeout for Maryland as momentum clearly shifted
to the Rams. Shuler sent VCU to a 60-54 lead with
eight minutes remaining on a 3-pointer that set a new
career-high for the Rams’ leading scorer. Bambale
Osby missed an opportunity to cut the Rams’ lead to
four with less than three minutes remaining when he
missed a foul shot after converting a basket.

The Rams held the lead, allowing the Terrapins to
get no closer than five points for the remainder of the
game, and VCU held on for the 9-point victory. Fans
chanted “C-A-A” in the game’s waning seconds, just
as they did in George Mason’s win over Connecticut
two seasons ago in the same building, in recognition
of the mid-major conference’s ability to compete with
the majors.

Foul trouble continued to give the Rams problems.
Larry Sanders (Fort Pierce, Fla./Port St. Lucie),
Michael Anderson (Virginia Beach/Landstown)
and Kirill Pishchalnikov (Maykop,
R u s s i a / M G G T K A G U ) a l l f o u l e d o u t .
All three of the BB&T Classic’s host teams – George
Washington, George Mason and Maryland – were defeated
by Auburn, East Carolina and VCU, respectively.
The Rams’ win boosts them to 4-3. The team has its
first conference game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against
William and Mary at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

—

By the numbers

VCU (4-3): Sanders 0, Anderson 4, Maynor 25, Shuler 30, Nixon 5, Pishchalnikov 4,
Rodriguez 10, Ndongo 0, Kearse 7, Gwynn 0. Totals: 26 24-31 85. 3-pointers: Shuler 6,
Maynor, Nixon, Rodriguez.

Maryland (5-3): Milbourne 10, Dupree 3, Hayes 7, Gist 9, Vasquez 19, Bowie 2, Tucker 7,
Burney 2, Osby 17. Totals: 21 30-34 76. 3-pointers: Vasquez 2, Hayes, Tucker.