VCU gets Signature Victory vs #17 Oklahoma

Though clad in my lucky seersucker jacket and wearing a lucky Indian braid (which usually yields the most extravagant of successes) I made the trek down to the Siegel Center with low expectations for the night’s game against Number 17 Oklahoma.

November 22, 2009; 2:09 PM • by Matthew E. White

Though clad in my lucky seersucker jacket and wearing a lucky Indian braid (which usually yields the most extravagant of successes) I made the trek down to the Siegel Center with low expectations for the night’s game against Number 17 Oklahoma.

After all, Oklahoma thieved our coach (Jeff Capel), sports velour warm ups, and is led by preseason Sporting News player of the year Willie Warren (who coincidentally looks just like Adrian Peterson). Not to mention that VCU was coming off a 16-point road loss to perennial powerhouse Western Michigan (jk, they are not a perennial powerhouse), had been handed a loss last year by the Sooners, were now missing magic man Eric Maynor, and Maynor’s replacement J-O-E-Y-R-O-D-R-I-G-U-E-Z has been making Rodney the Ram look like Larry Bird (last time out: 2-16 from the field, 0-8 from behind the arc, 3 assists, 4 turnovers). Even the only consistent numbers Larry Sanders has been posting in the first couple games have been fouls.

To make matters worse my place on press row was far removed from my main man Mat Shelton whom usually ghost writes my jokes – the calling card of my fine online basketball literature and let’s be honest I am still smarting from the last VCU basketball game I covered – a one point heartbreaker to UCLA in the NCAA tournament a mere 8 months ago. But let’s look on the bright side: it’s Larry Sanders’s 21st birthday, behind me is a sellout crowd, and in front a velour clad ranked opponent – the first one to visit the Siegel Center since its inception 10 years ago. Go Rams!

First Half Points of Interest

• Rams never trail, at one point leading by as much as 17
• In the first 9 minutes shoot 6-9 from behind the arc. (including one by Larry Sanders… “I felt like I was open”)
• Take control of the game with a 20-8 run
• Hold Willie Warren/Adrian Peterson to 4 points (all garbage buckets in the last minute of the half)
• Larry is held to 7 minutes due to foul trouble. (the least amount of minutes of a Rams player that played)
• All the Rams score
• New look backcourt Jay Gavin and Darius Theus looks fantastic
• TJ Gwynn is a beast – much more forward and confident than the 2008/2009 TJ Gwynn model
  44-34 at the half

Second Half Points of Interest

• Rams still never trail and again lead by as much as 17 never allowing the Sooners to get within less than 10.
• A 10 second call!! those are the best
• A couple HUGE alley oops to Larry (and for those of us that appreciate the finer things Larry also featured a nice jump hook and a beautiful open court assist)
• I sit by the mysterious associated press guy who is an artist at his job…don’t you always wonder who the associated press actually is? Well i do.
• Willie Warren/Adrian Peterson musters another 4 points this half
• Larry comes out of a timeout with an extended arms raised/get on your feet gesture…. my fav moment of the game.
• VCU closes out a signature win with no problems, no hiccups, just solid, poised basketball all night, and fans rush the floor!

Jay Gavin had a monster game and lead all scorers with 20 points. VCU outscored OU in the paint 34-32 and got a huge 22 points off the bench. We shot over 50% from the field in both halves, held Oklahoma to under 50% in both halves as well and scored 17 points off of turnovers. Larry scored 17 points and had 4 assists (17+4=21) on November 21 on his 21 birthday in 21 minutes and displayed a sense of leadership both on the court and in the press conference that has heretofore gone unseen (unquantifiable).

After the game Coach Capel was asked if he would consider coming back to play again: “If I had better team”.

(Photo courtesy of VCU Ram Nation)

November 22, 2009 2:09 PM 0