VCU tournament dreams cut short in instant classic with ODU

Taylor Howsmon

Sports Editor

Sunday the storybook closed.

What seemed like a weekend of destiny for VCU came to an unceremonious and abrupt end when the Rams lost in overtime to archrival ODU in overtime, 73-69.

“We had a goal of winning four games in four days and I think that was a very very realistic goal for us,” VCU coach Shaka Smart. “We just came up short.”

After 44 minutes of barn-burning basketball, the 45th would be the most exciting. After ODU’s Ben Finney nailed a three with 1:08 left, VCU put it in the hands of its hero from Saturday, Brandon Rozzell (Richmond/Highland Springs). The junior delivered, banging home a 30-plus foot three with just 34 seconds left to bring VCU to within two.

After an enormous five second inbound violation on ODU’s Gerald Lee, VCU had the ball and 33 seconds to tie or win it.
However, junior Ed Nixon (St. Petersburg, Fla./Lakewood) missed and Bradford Burgess’ (Midlothian/Benedictine) tip in also came up short.

After Lee hit two free throws, it was all she wrote for the Rams’ CAA tournament dreams.

Result aside, both the Rams and the Monarchs played quite possibly the game of the year and repeatedly traded blows all afternoon.

In front of a Coliseum sell-out crowd of over 11,000, VCU played nip-and-tuck basketball throughout the first half, as neither team struggled to find shots, each shooting under 42 percent from the floor.

ODU did outscore the Rams by three in the first but that deficit would quickly be erased.

VCU came out of the locker room in the second half like a team possessed, opening the half on a 13-4 run and eventually outscoring the Monarchs 22-8 through the first eight minutes of the half.
A dunk by T.J. Gwynn (Burlington, NC/Cummings) gave the Rams their largest lead of 12 at 52-40 and it appeared that VCU had made its patented second half run and wrapped up its third CAA title appearance in four seasons.

But the Monarchs had other ideas, responding with a vengeance, tearing the Rams to the tune of 22-10 in the final 11 minutes.

After a Lee field goal with 1:55 left each team failed to capitalize and win the game and the score was knotted at 62 at the end of regulation.

The game, which had already been a good one, had now become great and the exhilarated Coliseum crowd buckled up for the final five minutes.

The Monarchs and Rams continued like two heavyweight fighters, each team trading haymaker after haymaker.
However, after taking a 68-66 lead, ODU got a defensive stop and looked to land the knockout blow.

Point guard Darius James’ pass flew just past the out-stretched right hand of Burgess and into the hands of his teammate, Finney.
With basket in sight, Finney nailed the three-ball and the Monarchs took the 71-66 lead.

Rozzell would hit a deep three, but after Nixon’s missed runner fell off, the effort was just not enough.

The Rams lost the game and their dream of becoming the first team to win four games in four days in the CAA tournament.

Lee was absolutely fantastic for ODU scoring 26 points on 10-13 shooting. Finney and Neely each scored 11 for the Monarchs.
Nixon led the VCU scoring with 14, Burgess and Joey Rodriguez (Oviedo, Fla/Lake Howell) each scored 13 and Jaime Skeen (Charlotte, NC/Wake Forest University) had 11.

The Rams (22-9) now look forward to bids in possibly the National Invitational Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational if they choose to accept them.

After a Lee field goal with 1:55 left each team failed to capitalize and win the game and the score was knotted at 62 at the end of regulation.

The game, which had already been a good one, had now become great and the exhilarated Coliseum crowd buckled up for the final five minutes.
The Monarchs and Rams continued like two heavyweight fighters, each team trading haymaker after haymaker.
However, after taking a 68-66 lead, ODU got a defensive stop and looked to land the knockout blow.

Point guard Darius James’ pass flew just past the out-stretched right hand of Burgess and into the hands of his teammate, Finney.
With basket in sight, Finney nailed the three-ball and the Monarchs took the 71-66 lead.

Rozzell would hit a deep three, but after Nixon’s missed runner fell off, the effort was just not enough.
The Rams lost the game and their dream of becoming the first team to win four games in four days in the CAA tournament.

Lee was absolutely fantastic for ODU. He scored 26 points on 10-13 shooting. Finney and Neely each scored 11 for the Monarchs.
Nixon led the VCU scoring with 14; Burgess and Joey Rodriguez (Oviedo, Fla/Lake Howell) each scored 13 and Jaime Skeen (Charlotte, NC/Wake Forest University) had 11.

The Rams (22-9) now look forward to bids in possibly the National Invitational Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational if they choose to accept them.