VCU grabs Homecoming win, stays alive in CAA race

It is an old adage in sports that defense is the best offense. Saturday night, the VCU Rams went up against William and Mary with one goal in mind: Win with defense.

“Defensively we were very consistent . Our defense was extremely stingy,” VCU head coach Anthony Grant said.

The Rams did accomplish their goal holding the Tribe to only 54 points on the evening, short of their 55.8 average. They were able to roll over their in-conference foe, 76-54.

For what seems like the first time all season, the Rams got the balanced scoring they have been searching for as leading scorers Eric Maynor (Raeford, N.C./Westover) and Larry Sanders (Fort Pierce, Fla./Port St. Lucie) led the team with 13 points apiece. The 13-point output was Maynor’s lowest on the season.

The Rams also got major contributions from Joey Rodriguez (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Howell), who scored 11. Krill Pishchalnikov (Maykop, Russia/ MGGTK AGU) finished with nine, Ed Nixon (St. Petersburg, Fla./Lakewood) and Bradford Burgess (Midlothian/Benedictine) each contributed eight.

VCU also got a huge spark from junior T.J. Gwynn (Burlington, N.C./Cummings) who scored six points off the bench, in his first game since VCU’s win over Richmond on Dec. 13.

“It was a big relief, I was just happy to be out there with my teammates and help them get this big win for us,” Gwynn said.

The Rams looked like a team with something to prove as they jumped out to a 9-1 lead. They shot more than 55 percent for the game and never trailed, one time leading by as much as 25.

“The thing we talked about before the game started was coming out with great energy, playing to our identity, playing the way we know how to play and I thought our guys did a great job of that tonight,” Grant said.

For William and Mary, David Schneider was the only player in double-figures, scoring 11. Quinn McDowell and Alex Smith each contributed eight.

The killer for the Tribe was turnovers. VCU forced William and Mary into 19 for the game, and scored 25 points off those turnovers.

“We just didn’t have the composure tonight to make the simple plays in the game,” William and Mary head coach Tony Shaver said. “I don’t think our half?court defense was bad, but I think when you have 19 turnovers, that’s trouble.”

The Rams will stay in Richmond for a matchup with in-state foe James Madison before heading south to take on arch-rival Old Dominion in Norfolk on Saturday.

BY THE NUMBERS

VCU (17-7, 10-3)

Sanders 13, Pishchalnikov 9, Maynor 13, Rodriguez 11, Burgess 8, Saintil 1, Rozzell 7, Smith 0, Gwynn 6, Nixon 8. 26 18-24 76. 3-pointers Rodriguez 2, Burgess 2, Maynor, Rozzell.

William and Mary (7-16, 2-11)

Mcdowell 8, Kitts 3, Brown 7, Schneider 11, Sumner 4, Hess 0, Darnell 5, Smith 8, McFadden 2, Stein 3, McCurdy 3. 19 10-18 54. 3-pointers
McDowell 2, Brown 2, Schneider, Darnell.