VCU SPORTS a year in review
The 2011-2012 sports year brought in another successful showing by VCU athletics. Below is a timeline of the year in which VCU sports gathered three CAA championships, including a second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament for the men’s basketball team.
Jim Swing
Sports Editor
The 2011-2012 sports year brought in another successful showing by VCU athletics. Below is a timeline of the year in which VCU sports gathered three CAA championships, including a second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament for the men’s basketball team.
Oct. 28, 2011: Men’s soccer performs on national television for the first time in VCU history, playing against High Point in the NSCAA College Game of the Week televised on Fox Soccer Channel.
Nov. 18-20, 2011: Volleyball defeats Towson and Northeastern in the CAA Tournament before falling to Delaware in a close 3-2 finals match.
Nov. 4-6, 2011: Women’s soccer defeats Northeastern 1-0 in the CAA Tournament semifinals before falling to host William & Mary 1-0 in a close overtime match in the tournament championship.
Dec. 9, 2011: Men’s basketball crushes cross-town rival Richmond 73-51 on ESPN2. Senior Bradford Burgess and sophomore Rob Brandenberg score 14 points apiece to lead the Rams.
Jan. 11 + Feb. 19: Women’s basketball grabs the season sweep of crossstate rival Old Dominion.
March 8, 2012: Women’s basketball defeats William & Mary 78-69 in the first round of the CAA Tournament before eventually falling to Drexel in the semifinals a day later.
Jan. 21 + Feb. 11, 2012: Men’s basketball completes the season sweep of Old Dominion, defeating the Monarchs 61-48 at home and 68-64 in Norfolk.
Feb. 14, 2012: George Mason guard Sherrod Wright drains a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to defeat VCU men’s basketball 62-61 in Fairfax in what has been called one of the best college basketball games of the year.
Feb. 17, 2012: Men’s basketball takes out Northern Iowa 77-68 in the ESPN BracketBusters event.
Feb. 25, 2012: Men’s basketball exacts revenge on George Mason at the Siegel Center, defeating the Patriots 89-72 on ESPN2. It was also Senior Night for Bradford Burgess, who scored a career-high 31 points after several George Mason players came onto the court during his festivities.
March 3, 2012: Men’s basketball defeats Northeastern 75-65 in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals.
March 4, 2012: Men’s basketball once again defeats George Mason in the CAA semifinals 74-64. The Rams jump out to a 30-4 lead to start the game.
March 5, 2012: Men’s basketball defeats Drexel 59-56 in the CAA Tournament Championship, earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It marks the men’s basketball team’s second-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second in three years under the guidance of head coach Shaka Smart.
March 15, 2012: Men’s basketball eliminates Wichita State in the NCAA Tournament’s first round, defeating the Shockers 62-59.
March 17, 2012: Men’s basketball falls to Indiana 63-61 in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. Bradford Burgess leads the Rams with 15 points in his final game as a VCU Ram.
April 22, 2012: Men’s and women’s tennis both garner CAA Championships. CT