Siegel Center was the sight of the first chapter of VCU vs. Richmond this season. Broad Street hosted a rather physical game in this rivalry as RVA was painted Black & Gold in celebration of the Rams fourth straight victory over the Spiders.
Action In The Capital
The 77th Capital City Classic was a physical battle out of the gates. Mo Alie-Cox got VCU started right after tip-off with a sky hook followed by a Richmond turnover. ShawnDre’ Jones had an answer for the Rams with 5 quick Richmond points. JeQuan Lewis added extra intensity to HAVOC on and off the court as Siegel Center strapped in for a good game on Broad Street.
VCU got a second wind thanks to a 6-0 scoring run. Jonathan Williams made a good crosscourt assist to Samir Doughty on the run for a huge slam; following that with buckets from Doug Brooks and Ahmed Hamdy, the Rams were right back in the game.
Problems for both teams started to unravel later in the half. Nick Sherod picked up his second personal foul with 8:15 left while Richmond attempted to restart their offense. VCU was not having a good shooting day from downtown missing all 5 attempts.
A Technical Swing Of Things
The game got even more interesting after a technical foul was given. Mo Alie-Cox collected an And-1 opportunity and Richmond head coach Chris Mooney strongly disagreed with the call. Mooney exchanged some words with the officials which led to the technical foul and a 5 Point Play for VCU at the free throw line.
ShawnDre’ Jones kept Richmond within striking distance scoring 11 points and going 3-of-4 from three-point range. VCU’s paint game did damage outscoring the Spiders 24-16 from inside. Mo Alie-Cox led VCU with 8 points in the first half as the Rams held a 31-30 lead over Richmond at half-time.
Another Physical Round
As the 2nd half got underway, the lead traded back and forth between VCU and Richmond. Jones and Tillman continued building on their first half performances with neither truly giving their team a full advantage.
TJ Cline started to pave the way for Richmond. Cline started flexing his muscle in the paint as the Spiders started to crawl away. That was quickly erased by an electric 9-0 scoring run capped off by a three-ball from JeQuan Lewis that sent the Animal into a frenzy.
Black & Gold All The Way
Up 54-47, VCU continued their blueprint of attacking the rim. Multiple Rams fed upon Richmond’s interior defense as VCU took control of the game and momentum. Alie-Cox had Tillman had a pair of thunderous slams while Lewis once again hit a backbreaking 3 Ball from the corner pocket.
The Spiders still put up a fight until the end. ShawnDre’ Jones had a big game for Richmond leading the team with 30 points. TJ Cline added 15 points and De’Monte Buckingham scored 13 for the Spiders.
For the Black & Gold, it was another showcase inside the paint. Justin Tillman led the charge with a team-high 18 points and 9 rebounds while Mo Alie-Cox scored 13. Alie-Cox had a backbreaking And-1 basket for VCU as the big man flexed on the hardwood towards the finish line. VCU’s backcourt had their share as Samir Doughty scored 16 points and JeQuan Lewis put in 13.
Job Well Done VCU
HAVOC was also working hard in this rivalry. Richmond had 12 turnovers and VCU successfully stole the basketball 9 times in the game. VCU also scored 16 points off those Richmond turnovers.
The final buzzer blasted throughout the Siegel Center signaling an 81-74 VCU victory over Richmond. For the fourth consecutive time, the Rams defeated the Spiders and VCU improved to 7-2 in A-10 Play.
VCU Men’s Basketball quickly returns to Atlantic 10 play on Saturday, February 4th for a road game at St. Bonaventure. Tip-Off is set for 4 PM on CBS Sports Network.
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