VCU dominates defensively in a blowout win over the Pirates.
December 31, 2005
HAMPTON -- Hampton University coach Bobby Collins said the first order of business today will be burning the videotape of the Pirates' 84-44 loss to Virginia Commonwealth. And it would be perfectly understandable if his players bury the memories of Friday's debacle so deep in their psyches that no world-class hypnotist could retrieve them.
But the Pirates (1-7) would do well to remember one moment. It was the sight of VCU guard Eric Maynor crashing into the Marines.com advertisement at the press table while diving for a loose ball, with his team up 40 points and just 11 seconds left in the game.
"Coach (Jeff Capel) always wants us to dive after the ball," Maynor said. "If I don't, I know I'm going to get fussed out."
Capel added, "One of the things we've talked about with our players is setting a high standard, and never deviating from that no matter what the score is or how much time there is on the scoreboard."
The Rams (8-2) met Capel's standard in every department. They shot almost 50 percent from the floor, but more impressively, 19 of their 30 baskets were assisted.
B.A Walker led the Rams with 16 points. Nick George (12 points), Alexander Harper (10 points) and Jamal Shuler (10 points) also scored in double figures.
As good as the Rams were offensively, they controlled the game by pressuring Hampton's guards and closing off their passing lanes. The Rams relied used a mixture of zone and man defenses to limit the Pirates to 25 percent shooting (16-of-64), block nine shots and generate 10 steals in forcing 17 turnovers.
"Seventeen turnovers?" Collins asked. "It seemed more like a 25-turnover night. They must have scored points off of every one of them."
The Rams made three consecutive steals during a 14-0 run they used to turn the game into a rout late in the first half. George stripped Rodrick Coleman of the ball and dunked it to put the Rams up 29-15.
Harper then swiped the ball from Jeff Granger and passed to Jesse Pellot-Rosa, who assisted George on another dunk. The lead ballooned to 38-15 when Maynor pick-pocketed Rashad West and assisted Walker's slam, one of eight VCU dunks.
The second half was a copy of the first, as the Pirates again made just 8-of-32 field-goal attempts. They were even less successful getting the ball into 6-foot-11 Bruce Brown, who was 5-of-11 from the floor and finished with 11 points.
"I was surprised at the margin," Capel admitted. "They're a talented team. Bruce Brown is a very talented big guy. Jeff Granger can really shoot the ball. Coleman is a really quick guard who can get his own shot and create some things, and Jaz Cowan is a skilled forward. They have some other pieces, too."
But the Pirates haven't put them together yet, and they enter the meat of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule with a visit Wednesday to Bethune-Cookman.
"I hope playing in the conference will get the kids to bring more competitiveness to their play," Collins said. "We've got to find more consistency in competing every night."
VA. COMMONWEALTH 84, HAMPTON 44
VA. COMMONWEALTH (8-2): Walker 7-8 0-2 16, George 5-11 1-2 12, Pellot-Rosa 0-6 1-2 1, Harper 4-6 1-2 10, Faulk 0-0 0-0 0, Dixon 3-8 1-2 9, Maynor 3-5 0-0 6, Anderson 3-5 2-2 9, Capel 2-3 2-2 7, Davis 0-3 4-4 4, Shuler 3-6 2-4 10. Totals 30-61 14-22 84.
HAMPTON (1-7): Coleman 0-6 2-2 2, Williams 0-3 0-0 0, Granger 2-5 1-2 6, Cowan 3-10 0-0 6, Brown 5-11 1-5 11, West 0-4 1-2 1, Bean 1-3 0-0 2, Laney 0-0 0-0 0, Mattox 0-5 2-2 2, Woodard 1-3 1-2 3, L.Pehoua 1-4 0-0 2, J.Pehoua 3-9 1-1 9, Clark 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-64 9-16 44.
Halftime-Virginia Commonwealth 38-17. 3-Point Goals-Va. Commonwealth 10-25 (Dixon 2-3, Walker 2-3, Shuler 2-4, Capel 1-2, Harper 1-2, Anderson 1-3, George 1-4, Maynor 0-1, Pellot-Rosa 0-3), Hampton 3-18 (J.Pehoua 2-4, Granger 1-3, Williams 0-1, West 0-2, Mattox 0-2, Cowan 0-3, Coleman 0-3). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Va. Commonwealth 46 (Pellot-Rosa 6), Hampton 41 (Brown 9). Assists-Va. Commonwealth 19 (Harper 4), Hampton 8 (Coleman, Williams 3). Total Fouls-Va. Commonwealth 19, Hampton 18. A-622.
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Saturday, December 31st 2005 at 11:39AM
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