Resurgent VCU takes down Fordham for second straight win

Jim Swing
Sports Editor

For the better part of the first half of the regular season, VCU rode what would turn out to be a 13-game winning streak, mercilessly sailing to double-digit win after double-digit win.

Then came Atlantic 10 play, which would undoubtedly turn out to be a step up from the Colonial Athletic Association as far as competition went.

The Rams found that out the hard way just over two weeks into the conference schedule, suffering back-to-back losses, which stripped them of their No. 19 national ranking.

They didn’t seem themselves. A muddled, unorganized offense couldn’t overcome a lethargic defense that struggled to create the needed amount of turnovers in losses to Richmond and La Salle.

Losing streak far in the rearview mirror, VCU righted the ship and collected its second straight win in a 81-65 rout of Fordham Saturday night.

“I thought we were more energetic in the press than in previous games,” VCU head coach Shaka Smart said.

VCU caused Fordham to turn the ball over 22 times, the first time it created 20 or more turnovers by an opponent since a win over Dayton on Jan. 9.

Forcing 15 or more turnovers has seemingly been the recipe of success for VCU, which is 18-0 when doing so this season and 42-3 under Smart.

VCU had 13 more shot attempts than Fordham, but made just 24 of its 70 shots (34.3 percent). It was the turnovers that made the difference, and VCU flipped 22 Fordham turnovers into 32 points.

“Coach Smart is very defensive oriented,” senior guard Troy Daniels said. “He was on us the whole week, just ‘Defense, defense, defense,’ even if we’re up 30 he’s still slamming the board down.”

After a back and forth first half, VCU extended its lead on Fordham to as much as 24 with 8:55 left in the second half.

It was on the offensive end where Daniels would earn his playing time by scoring a game-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting and 7-of-14 from deep. Daniels hit seven or more 3-pointers in a game for the fifth time this season.

“If I’m open,” Daniels said. “I’m going to shoot it.”

Prior to Saturday night Daniels had been cold, missing 29 of his last 39 3-point attempts over the last six games.

VCU made 13 3-pointers, its most in four games and allowed Fordham to make just six.

A fresh Treveon Graham, who scored 15 points and brought down eight rebounds, helped out Daniels on offense.

Playing at the forward spot, Graham was matched up against a bigger, bulkier 6-foot-8, 275-pound Travion Leonard. In the practices leading up to Saturday, Graham would do battle with some of VCU’s bigger inside men like David Hinton and Juvonte Reddic.

Graham helped limit Leonard, who turned the ball over six times, to seven points and five rebounds.

VCU point guard Darius Theus had eight points, five assists and four steals and turned the ball over just one time. Reddic shot 1-of-8 but got to the free throw line six times and cashed in for 11 points.

Leonard, Mandell Thomas and Fordham’s leading scorer Branden Frazier all combined to turn the ball over 18 times.

VCU (18-5, 6-2) now owns sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10 and will visit Charlotte (17-4, 5-2) next Saturday.

“We’re doing pretty good so far, we’ve got a long way to go,” Graham said. “The games coming up are not going to be easy.”