Rams roll: six consecutive wins

Senior Jamal Shuler led four VCU players in double figures with 23 points to spearhead the Rams’ 82-65 victory over Hofstra Wednesday at the Mack Sports Complex. VCU has won six straight and 11 of 12 to improve to14-4 overall and 7-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Hofstra sliped to 4-13 and 2-6 in the league. For […]

January 24, 2008; 2:08 AM • by FTRea

Senior Jamal Shuler led four VCU players in double figures with 23 points to spearhead the Rams’ 82-65 victory over Hofstra Wednesday at the Mack Sports Complex.

VCU has won six straight and 11 of 12 to improve to14-4 overall and 7-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Hofstra sliped to 4-13 and 2-6 in the league.

For Shuler, it was his third consecutive 20-plus point performance. He was 9-of-18 from the floor, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range.

The Rams also received a breakout performance from freshman forward Lance Kearse, who scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds. Kearse, who came in to the game averaging 3.2 points and 1.4 rebounds, was 7-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-3 from beyond the 3-point arc.

“Lance Kearse really came in and gave us a lift tonight,” VCU’s head coach Anthony Grant said. “Overall, we got some nice production off our bench, which allowed us to get a lead [in the first half].”

Also for VCU, junior guard Eric Maynor added 17 points, while senior forward Michael Anderson provided 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

Charles Jenkins paced the Pride with 18 points. Hofstra senior Antoine Agudio, the CAA’s leading scorer (23.2 ppg) was held to 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting. Guarded primarily by Shuler, Agudio finished well below his average for the second time in two meetings with the Rams. Agudio scored 13 points in VCU’s 59-49 win Jan. 12.

“Jamal’s got potential to be an outstanding defender,” Grant said. “The thing that I’m proud of is that he wants that responsibility; he wants to guard the other team‘s best player.”

The Rams return to the Siegel Center for their next contest, a match-up with CAA-rival Drexel on Sat., Jan. 26 at 6 p.m.

– This information was supplied by VCU’s Chris Kowalczyk