It was an Atlantic 10 showdown at Stuart S. Siegel Center Saturday night where the VCU Rams defeated the George Mason Patriots 79-63, pushing VCU to 15-6 on the season and 6-2 in the conference. In front of a packed crowd, which happened to be the 129th consecutive sellout, the Rams put on a defensive clinic and continued to show that this year’s squad is a much more mature team than some in recent memory. Whenever the Patriots fought their way back into the game, the black and yellow had an answer for them.
One consistency with the Rams all season is their defensive intensity at the start of games. At home, they are notorious for their defensive hot starts and the results are easy baskets in transition and an intense crowd.
This game was no different. But both teams attacked the paint at will and continued to get easy baskets.
But the Rams separated themselves as forward Isaac Vann and guard Marcus Evans knocked down threes and created a lead. VCU has done a great job defending the three-point shot all season with the team’s opponents shooting just 27 percent from beyond the three-point arc, which ranks fourth nationally. This game was no different with the Patriots not scoring a three-pointer until the final minute of the first half and going 2-19 (10.5 percent) for the game.
In the second half, the Patriots continued to battle and eventually tied the game at 52 with eight minutes remaining. But the Rams stepped up and went on a 9-0 run in a matter of seconds. VCU redshirt senior Michael Gilmore hit two straight threes along with Vann hitting the next one and from there, the 6’6” Connecticut native took over the game with four fouls, continuing to be aggressive and closing it out for the home team.
Rams head coach Mike Rhoades was impressed with the fact that the team had 21 assists and only 11 turnovers. Whenever a ballclub shares the ball with no turnovers, it puts itself in a great position to win.
It is interesting that the coach said after the game that his team responds to adversity so well because of how close knit they are off the court. In fact, the players generally enjoy their teammate’s success rather than focusing on their own and that speaks to the leadership of selfless players. This, in turn, trickles down to the entire bunch, which makes for a special team.
VCU looks to keep making progress in another major conference matchup against a struggling George Washington Colonial team that is 7-14 on the season and losers of three of their last four games.