The Black & Gold ran to finish of out-of-conference play on the winning side as VCU hosted Howard inside the Siegel Center Tuesday night. Scoring runs aplenty for the Rams led to the 85-51 win as VCU added another W to their current four-game winning streak.

Get Your VCU Buckets Here!

Both teams had similar game plans as the game got underway. VCU and Howard quickly initiated a full-court press and zone defense to see which team would crack first. The Black & Gold won that battle with a steal that led to an early And-1 bucket for Jonathan Williams.

From there, it was all VCU with a 16-2 scoring run. The full court press forced four Howard turnovers while the Rams had a productive five minutes shooting 5-of-6 from the field. Mo Alie-Cox slammed the exclamation point for added excitement inside the Siegel Center.

CJ Williams: Alpha Bison

Charles Williams of Howard had a response. The local RVA resident turned Bison ignited an 8-0 scoring run by himself to cut the deficit. With limited options due to injuries, Williams made three consecutive baskets; two of them from downtown to cut VCU’s lead down to six.

Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop VCU.

VCU remained unphased as the Rams launched another scoring attack. A 13-1 scoring run for the Black & Gold had more offensive production from Jonathan Williams and a Justin Tillman alley-oop slam. Doug Brooks provided substance off the bench defensively and scored on a breakaway towards the basket.

As Howard continued struggling, VCU just kept on shooting. Their third shooting run of the first half resulted in a 7-0 VCU run. Williams led the Black & Gold with 14 first half points while JeQuan Lewis added 13 more. A good start by the Rams shooting 55% from the field and 42% from downtown.

HAVOC smothered the Bison for 20 minutes and forced 12 turnovers while VCU scored 13 points off those turnovers. As the first half came to end, Lewis capped off a productive VCU team performance with a jumper from downtown just as time expired. The Rams headed into the locker room in good spirits with a 48-22 lead over Howard.

The Usual with VCU Reserves On The Side

The 2^nd half looked similar to the start of the 1^st half as VCU once again got things rolling on the scoreboard. The backcourt trio of Doughty, Lewis and Williams led the way as the Rams rattled the Bison on a 7-0 scoring run to put the game even further out of reach.

Coach Wade turned the floor over to his reserves in the 2^nd half. They did not disappoint as Justin Tillman lead the VCU bench just shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. Malik Crowfield added a career-high 10 points while Doug Brooks and Marquell Fraser added seven points each. De’Riante Jenkins collected six points as the VCU bench outscored Howard 42-19.

JeQuan Lewis led VCU with 17 points, six steals, and five assists against Howard. Jonathan Williams scored 14 points and dished out six assists.

Grounded Bison

HAVOC kept the Bison grounded offensively. VCU forced 21 total Howard turnovers while stealing the ball 12 times. Charles Williams did everything he could for the Bison leading with a team-high 20 points and 36 minutes played. Cameron Lewis added an additional 12 points but it was not enough to overcome the pressure of HAVOC.

The Rams were able to run up the scoreboard and Howard out of the Siegel Center with an 85-51 victory. VCU extended their current winning streak to four games and end out-of-conference play at 10-3 overall.

VCU Men’s Basketball begins Atlantic 10 conference play on Friday, December 30^th when the Rams battle George Mason at EagleBank Arena. Tip-off set for 8 PM on CBS Sports Network.

Mark Turner

Mark graduated from VCU in 2014 with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. He started as a fan of the Black & Gold in the stands his freshman year. Mark was known as "Kazie" for his charismatic fandom with the VCU's student organization the Rowdy Rams. While at VCU he gained experience in sports media with WVCW on a sports radio show called Rowdy Radio. Following graduation, Mark continued crafting his social media skills with the Richmond Kickers while also handling VCU coverage. He is a true fan of the Rams and vocally passionate on and off camera. After the final whistle, you can probably find him at local RVA bar or brewery enjoying a drink and conversation.