Rams beat Blue Hens (sans Sanders)

With superstar big man Larry Sanders suspended for the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball team against the University of Delaware on Saturday, it was inevitable that the Rams would have a different identity, both offensively and defensively.

January 9, 2010; 10:13 PM • by Lathan Wells

They also had a different identity than their last game played with Sanders: that of winners.

VCU defeated the Blue Hens from Delaware 77-64 behind a career-high 19 points from guard Brandon Rozzell, who also contributed three steals and three assists. The Rams overcame a halftime deficit in rebound margin to perform much better on the boards in the second half, helping to stymie the second-chance points that had helped Delaware draw to within three at the half.

The started out with Delaware up 8-2 quickly before the Rams went on a torrid 27-9 run, led by their three-point shooting. VCU started out 5-5 from behind the arc (with Rozzell and point guard Joey Rodriguez hitting two apiece) as it appeared the Rams would overwhelm their Colonial Athletic Association opponent. But point guard Jawan Carter and the Blue Hens slowly worked their way back into the equation, keeping the game close the rest of the way until the final moments. Carter finished with 22 points to lead the Blue Hens.

Sanders was suspended by the conference for this contest due to an altercation that occurred in the Rams’ last game versus Northeastern. After the game the league reviewed Sanders’ tussle with an opposing player and ruled he’d committed a flagrant foul that would cost him participation in this match-up.

Sanders’s absence allowed Jamie Skeen to get his first start of the season, and the forward contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds to the Rams’ cause. VCU also got solid production off the bench from big men Kirill Pishchalnikov and Terrance Saintil, who combined for 12 points and ten rebounds. Forward Bradford Burgess also chipped in with ten boards to go along with 12 points as the Rams shored up the rebounding deficiencies that plagued them in the first half. Speaking of Skeen and Burgess, VCU coach Shaka Smart said, “I really thought both of them had great energy and really were big for us in the second half. Bradford was once again absolutely outstanding, his energy and the way he rebounded was great.”

Rozzell’s shooting was the constant for the Rams, as he started hot and continued to hit pull-up midrange jumpers in half number two.

“Brandon’s been one of our better scorers all year, and today was no exception,” Coach Smart said. “His ability to knock down shots helped us set up our press, which enabled us to really frustrate them offensively.”

Indeed, the Rams held Delaware to eight field goals in the second half after allowing 52% field-goal shooting to their opponents in the first half.

The Rams improved to 10-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference, and dropped their conference foes from Delaware to 5-11, 1-4 in the conference. Perhaps most importantly, VCU proved to themselves that they can without their best player and one of the foremost post presences in the nation.

(Photo courtesy of VCU Ram Nation)