VCU steps up second-half defense in win over South Florida
So far this season, the VCU men’s basketball team has made a habit out of defending well in the first half, and then trudging out of the break flat.
Jim Swing
Sports Editor
Commonwealth Times’ Sports
So far this season, the VCU men’s basketball team has made a habit out of defending well in the first half, and then trudging out of the break flat.
It’s proved costly. So much so, senior Bradford Burgess defined it as the team’s “Achilles Heel.”
But Wednesday night, the Rams turned over a new leaf, allowing just 18 points in second half of their 69-46 win over South Florida, matching the least all season.
“The games that we’ve played well and won big, we shut teams down in the second half,” Burgess said. “Times when other teams get whatever they want, offensive rebounds and stuff, we lose.
“We just wanted to keep our defensive intensity up and play a great second half.”
VCU’s defense was stifling in the second half of Wednesday night’s game, holding South Florida to 6-of-23 from the floor.
“The biggest thing that I was proud of in the game itself was the way we defended in the second half,” head coach Shaka Smart said. “Holding them to 18 points.”
Before Wednesday night’s game, VCU had allowed its opponents an average of 34.8 points in the second half.
Collapses against Georgia Tech and Alabama had been causes for major concern.
But thanks to a lock down second half defense in a convincing win over South Florida, the Rams look headed in the right direction.
“Second half defense has been a big emphasis of ours because in a couple games previously we’ve struggled to stop teams in the second half,” Smart said. “We’ve got great guys on our team, when you asked them to do something they’re going to do it.”
