After entertaining the college basketball nation with a pair of memorable wins that took less than 0.4 seconds, VCU returned home to the Animal on a 5 game winning streak. There was a party at Wade’s World as the Rams collected win number 6 against Davidson Saturday night inside the Siegel Center.
Wildcats Cut The Party Short
Davidson quickly turned the party sour with an opening 11-5 scoring run. The Wildcats caught fire from downtown connecting on 3-of-5 three-pointers at 60%. Jack Gibbs was on a roll along with Peyton Aldridge as Davidson had the Rams reeling just before the first media timeout. Doug Brooks also picked up two personal fouls in less than four minutes for VCU.
As the game continued, the Wildcats kept attacking the Rams. Jon Axel Gudmundsson made VCU pay at the rim as Davidson got out to a 15-9 lead. JeQuan Lewis turned the tide for the Black & Gold with a three-pointer to cut the deficit. Malik Crowfield had good production from the bench with a floater that put the Rams within a point.
Party Fouls And Free Throws
The overall tempo of the game slowed down thanks to fouls and free throws. Davidson had the advantage being in the bonus with 11 minutes left in the half; the Wildcats could not take advantage shooting 25% from the line on 2-of-8 free throw attempts.
Siegel Center got a tad chilly on the floor as both teams struggled shooting the ball late in the 1st half. Davidson started the half hot but finished at 33% from the field and from three-point range; VCU finished strong at 36% from the field but struggled shooting 25% from the three point spot.
Chill & Grill The Rim
VCU had a scoreless run that lasted 4:30 seconds until JeQuan Lewis broke through from mid-range. From there, the Rams was ignited on offense with an 11-0 scoring run. Buckets from Jordan Burgess, Mo Alie-Cox, and Justin Tillman helped put VCU out in front.
Things got really cold offensively for Davidson. For the last 7:51, the Wildcats did not hit a field goal. HAVOC did some damage forcing 4 Davison turnovers however the Wildcats just could not connect on anything in that stretch. VCU ended the first half on a high note while grabbing a 31-28 lead.
Gibbs vs. Lewis: Round 2
As the 2nd half got underway, Jack Gibbs and JeQuan Lewis got after one another in a point guard battle. Gibbs started to connect early while JeQuan kept getting his team involved with assists. Two of the Atlantic 10’s best at the point put on quite a show Saturday night in conference play.
Gibbs did all he could for Davidson finishing with a team-high 27 points; however Lewis and VCU just continued burying the Wildcats with a barage of baskets all over the court.
3rd Double-Double For The Fro
Justin Tillman took the 2nd half over while collecting his third consecutive double-double. VCU’s loveable Fro from Detroit went extra crispy offensively with his jams against Davidson. Tillman once again was a menace on the glass finishing with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Foul trouble became a concern as Peyton Aldridge and Jack Gibbs both collected three personal fouls. VCU was able to get some breathing room as their offense erupted along with the sell-out crowd in the Stu going up 55-45.
Making It Rain From 3
VCU continued attacking the rim in the 2nd half along with having a 3 Ball in their back pocket. Along with Lewis hitting 4 treys on the night, Crowfield and Doughty added to the triple point madness. The Rams finished the 2nd half at 50% from downtown on 4-of-8 shooting.
JeQuan Lewis led VCU with 27 points, 3 assists, and a pair or rebounds. Lewis was just 2 points shy of tying his career high of 29 points. Mo Alie-Cox had a good game with 10 points and 5 rebounds.
The winning run of Black & Gold continues with a 74-60 victory over Davidson at the Siegel Center. VCU has won six straight Atlantic 10 games and move up to first place at 10-2. Davidson falls to 5-7 in A-10 play and has now lost 3 consecutive games.
VCU Men’s Basketball returns to the court on Valentine’s Day at the Siegel Center versus Saint Joseph’s. Tip-Off slated for a 6 PM start on Tuesday, February 14th on CBS Sports Network.
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