Brandenberg pushes VCU to win over UMass
Jim Swing
Sports Editor
Tagged as a game that would come loaded chock full of speed, press and two similar styles – VCU and Massachusetts lived up to the billing.
Both schools boast players with lightning quick speed and make a living off of pressuring opposing offenses in the backcourt.
In retrospect, one team just did it better.
In the track meet that took place inside the Siegel Center Thursday night, VCU (20-5, 8-2) took first place literally and figuratively, throttling UMass (16-7, 6-4) 86-68 behind an early second half resurgence.
The Rams claimed sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10 with the win and notched a 20-win season for the seventh straight year.
“They came at us early,” VCU head coach Shaka Smart said. “[They] made some shots, attacked the basket.”
Nearly everything went the Minutemen’s way in the first half.
UMass turned the ball over 11 times, but VCU only turn them into eight points. The Minutemen got to the free throw line six times and knocked down seven out of 12 shots to pile on to their 51.7 percent shooting.
A 14-5 run at the end of the first half gave UMass a 42-37 lead at the half. But it wouldn’t last long.
On the VCU bench, there’s a common goal: Win the first five minutes of the second half.
A resurgent Rob Brandenberg, who was shot 0-for-8 in the first half, came out of the break in a blaze of glory, scoring VCU’s first six points of the second half to take the lead.
The Rams’ defense was havoc in every sense of the word – devastating and suffocating, forcing four UMass turnovers in the first 3:18 of the half.
Nearly seven and a half minutes went by before UMass finally scored its first field goal on a Cady Lalanne dunk.
VCU was taking the first five minutes and more.
“We did more than win it tonight,” Smart said.
The Minutemen committed 13 turnovers in the second half – a sin against a VCU team that is now 20-0 when forcing 15 or more turnovers in a game.
The Rams outscored UMass 49-26 in the second half on the way to their fourth straight victory.
UMass leading scorer Chaz Williams coughed the ball up six times and scored just six points to go with his nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
“For him to go 1-for-7,” Smart said. “We’ll take that any night.”
Treveon Graham’s team-leading 19 points put him in double-figures for the 18th straight game for VCU.
Highly touted three-point shooter Melvin Johnson scored a career-high 18 points and buried two out his four shot-attempts from deep after hitting only 11-of-54 to this point.
“On three, I’ll take 10 more,” Johnson said. “I just need one to go in.”
VCU center D.J. Haley received a standing ovation when he stepped on the court midway through the second half after missing two straight games due to personal reasons.
Brandenberg scored all 12 of his points in the second half and finished with four steals after leading a ferocious second half comeback. VCU is 12-0 this season when Brandenberg scores 11 or more points.
“If I can be a spark on the offensive end or defensive end,” Brandenberg said, “that’s my role on the team.”
