VCU men’s basketball beat Mars Hill, 110-50

0

VCU senior guard Zeb Jackson dunks the ball. Photo by Arrick Wilson

Thailon Wilson, Sports Editor

Bersabeh Kemaw, Staff Writer 

After an offseason that formed an entirely new roster, VCU men’s basketball faced Mars Hill University in their first and only exhibition match and won 110-50.

The Rams starting five were redshirt sophomore guard Jason Nelson, senior guard Zeb Jackson, freshman guard and forward Michael Belle, graduate forward Kuany Kuany and sophomore forward Christian Fermin. 

Mars Hill junior guard Kadyn Dawkins put the first points on the board after the Rams missed a shot to make the score 3-0 with 19 minutes left in the first half.

Fermin and Kuany scored back to back buckets to give the Rams a 4-3 lead with 18 minutes left.

Kuany said that getting paint touches is important because of the ability to score inside.

“Our bigs are always available in the dunker spot,” Kuany said. “So we find ways to get them the ball.”

The black and gold went on a 9-2 run to give them a 9-5 lead with 15 minutes left, according to StatBroadcast.

After a goaltending call on the Rams, VCU went on a 10-4 run to go up 19-9 with 12 minutes left in the first half

Dawkins hit a three pointer to end the run by the black and gold and make it 19-12.

Even though the Rams went on runs, Mars Hill would stay in the game early on because of three pointers.

VCU head coach Ryan Odom said the team needed to press up on the opponents and get them to dribble before shooting. 

“They made a couple of them early when we were just short on our closeouts,” Odom said. “So you just gotta get them off of those shots.”

Jackson made three three pointers, one at the 10 minute-mark, another at the eight minute-mark and his final one of the half at the six minute-mark.

Jackson attributed his performance today to the support of all the coaches and the trust of his teammates.

“It felt really good,” Jackson said. “I feel like we flew into a lot of stuff today. It was real smooth, we plan to keep going and doing it throughout the whole season.”

Nelson made key plays on both sides of the ball, gaining steals and hitting threes.

The threes by Jackson contributed alongside Nelson’s offensive and defensive playmaking led to a 33-14 run which continued to help the Rams pull away. 

VCU ended the first half with a dunk made by VCU junior center Roosevelt Wheeler to increase the lead to 55-26. 

The second half began with Mars Hill freshman forward London Maiden making both free throws after being fouled to make it 55-28.

After the first two minutes of the second half passed without a bucket, VCU went on a 19-4 run to give the Rams a 64-30 lead with 12 minutes left, according to StatBroadcast.

The black and gold locked down the field in the second half as they allowed the Lions to only shoot 18.5% from the field and zero percent from the arc, according to StatBroadcast.

Odom said that defensive communication and heart was key for their defensive scheme to work.

“Playing every possession like it’s the last is really important,” Odom said. “When you see the guys moving their bodies and playing with energy.”

When the final whistle blew, the black and gold won the game 110-50 in steady fashion.

Although this is a new team, they showed cohesiveness on the court and played like a family, according to Odom.

“Ultimately, when you’re on a team, you have to have that love for one another,” Odom said. “You really have to. It’s no different than a family, right?”



Leave a Reply