Hassell gets a put back dunk for ODU and there is one minute left in the game. ODU doesn’t foul. Sort of a mystery if you ask me. 29 seconds to play and Brandon fouls Finney who goes to the line. Gets his first. Second falls too. Still no fouls and ODU lets VCU run the clock down. WE WILL BE GOING TO THE FINALS!!! You BETTER GET HERE TOMORROW NIGHT!!!! VCU IS YOUR WINNER 61-53. Eric ends with 23. Larry with 12. VCURamNation Loves you and will see you tomorrow night!! GOOD GAME….VCU GO RAMS GO!!!! Oh, and Go Towson!!!
ODU misses a three and VCU gets the ball back. VCU can’t sccore and James misses for ODU. VCU gets the ball back again. 1:45 to play. Maynor throws up a sicko sicko sicko alley-oop to Larry. No one in the building saw that exclamation point coming. 61-49 VCU. 1:33 to play. ESPN might be calling for that one.
What did I tell you? I’m not saying..I’m just saying…Joey good for a big three from the same spot he was missing from earlier. ODU misses a shot and TJ is fouled on the other end. He misses his first free throw. Lee checks back in with Finney. 2:57 to play in the game and TJ makes the second shot to push VCU to a 10 point lead. 59-49 VCU. Timeout on the floor by VCU.
Bradford at the line. 1 and 1. Gets the first. Second is money too. 55-46 VCU leads 3:50 to play. ODU gets a three point opportunity as Bradford is called for his 4th personal. Carter gets all three. Blah. 55-49 VCU. 3:35 to play.
ERIC MAYNOR!!! Holy smokes… That kid just hit a three pointer from the STU about 20 blocks away. That was loooooong distance. Sick. ODU takes a timeout. VCU leads 53-44, VCU. 4:24 to play.
Lee gets both shots to fall. 49-45 VCU leads. 5:33 to play. Maynor is fouled while shooting and he will now step up to try to push it back to a seven point lead. He only gets the front end, but that makes it six points. Lee misses a hook shot and Sanders pulls the board down. VCU has got to play smart.
Joey misses a three but Larry gets a big offensive rebound. New shot clock is big for us. Larry fouls Bazemore and sends him to the line for two. Again clock stops and ODU gets to try to pull within 4. They do and Lee checks back into the game. Bradford from the corner is good for three points. 49-42 VCU leads. 5:47 to play. Lee gets KP to foul him and that is it for KP. Five fouls and he will have to watch and root his team from the bench. TJ will take his place.
Just got our first box score. Those things are worth gold on press row apparently. Ha. VCU is getting outrebounded 31-25. VCU must be making a push in the department cause it was just awful earlier. Eric looses the ball and KP fouls again. That is his fourth and VCU’s 10th team foul. ODU is in the double bonus from here on out. That isn’t a very good thing. Finney misses both shots thankfully.
If you just saw Eric drive to the paint you would know why they say he has two speeds. That was lightening fast. Timeout on the floor. But not before ODU turns the ball over and Eric scores. Joey shoots an airball. He is having shooting troubles today, but he is gonna make one here in a minute I can feel it in my bones. It’s gonna be a big one too. VCU leads 46-40 with 7:46 to play.
Larry picks up his second foul, but he also stops the clock and sends ODU to the line. Carter will shoot the one-and-one. He wil lget to try at the second shot. He gets that one too. four point game. 44-40 VCU. 8:55 left.
Missed three by ODU Larry rebounds and Maynor drops the ball off to Joey. He misses the three but Larry is good for the put back. Lee heads to the bench again as play is getting physical. Blaine doesn’t want him picking up a silly foul. Timeout taken by ODU. VCU leads by six, 44-38, but there is a lot of ticking left on the clock. 9:20 to play.
Bazemore is shooting one plus the bonus. He makes both and ODU trails by three. Dangerous possession by VCU. We can’t score, and Maynor is out of the game. TJ fouls Lee and will send him to the line. Ugh. Maynor, KP, and Bradford check back in. Lee is good for only one shot and that gives him only three on the day. Maynor gets the rebound and takes the ball up the court. 7 seconds on the shot clock and Maynor drives the lane and scores. 42-38 VCU. 10:13 to play.
The under 12 minute timeout couldn’t come at a better time. Eric misses a contested shot as Lee is guarding him and ODU spints the ball down the court. Nixon accidently trips up the ball handler, but accidently doesn’t matter here. ODU will be at the line when we come out of the timeout. That is the 7th team foul on VCU and ODU will be in the bonus. Gotta drive at the big men for ODU and get Lee in deeper foul trouble. Maynor knows that though. He will get it down if he can. 40-35 VCU. 11:30 to play.
TJ gets a great pass into Larry and he puts in a dunk that shakes the base of the Coliseum. TJ is called for the foul on the other side and Neely gets a three point play. 40-35 VCU leads. 11:56 to play.
ODU ball out of the timeout. Finney will inbound with Lee still on the bench. Gotta take advantage of that. Nixon comes up with a steal and is fouled while laying the ball up. Doesn’t get the basket, but he will shoot a pair. Nixon gets one of the two and misses his second. Goes for his own rebound and knocks the ball out of bounds off ODU. VCU gets the ball back. HUGE. Maynor drives in and is fouled. That is Finney’s fourth foul and team foul number sixth on ODU. Finney will have to sit. Maynor gets the first free one. The second is just as pretty. That pushes the VCU lead to 38-32 VCU. 12:44 to play.
Gerald Lee picks up his third personal and will have to sit. Maynor is smart man. Drives and gets the ball to Larry who is fouled while shooting. Larry misses his first. Lee limps off the floor, appears to be ok though. Larry misses both free throws. Full timeout by ODU. 35-32 VCU leads. 13:27 to play in someones season.
Back from the timeout and now Saintil picks up a quick foul. that is his second. God bless Eric Maynor. James fouls Eric as his floater floats through the net. Three point play is good. TJ checks in and Saintil takes a seat. Might need his minutes later. VCU leads by three, 35-32 with 14:47 to play.
Bradford picks up two quick fouls and that puts him at three. VCU can’t score on the possession and Larry is called for the travel. Timeout called right after KP picks up his third personal foul. Our guys are gettng in foul trouble and there is still 15:38 to play. VCU leads by 2, 32-30.
VCU takes the lead off a bad ODU pass. Eric dishes wide open to Brandon for a big dunk.
Finney misses a shot and Brandon fights for the board. Neely, laying on the ground, reaches out and trips KP to the ground. KP hits about a 17 footer on the other end. That ties the game. James misses a three for ODU, and we are still getting out-rebounded. That has GOT to change.
Joey picks up his third foul and Finney is taking free shots. Brandon spells J-rod and Finney misses both shots. On the other end Maynor drives hard and dishes to KP. He is fouled while shooting and gets a a chance at the stripe. Can’t connect on his first. Not the most fundamentally sound group of players on the court, ha. At least KP gets his second shot to fall. 30-28 ODU leads. 17:47 to play.
ODU misses and Larry gets his first board of the second half. But Joey turns the ball over. ODU scores and now has a three point lead. Bradford tries to tie the game up with a three but it bounces off the rim and behind the backboard.
Back from half. 28-27 ODU leads by one.
Event staff just told me I will lose internet one minute before half. Sanders gets the bucket for VCU and then ODU gets the shot clock taken out from under them. VCU ball. 1:31 to play and VCU leads 27-25. Be back after the half and the modem here is reset.
Eric hits his first three and the Rams reclaim the lead. 25-24 VCU. Rams almost get the ball back from ODU, but TJ is called for a late foul. So, instead ODU gets to the line. They only make one of the two and the game is knotted up at 25 with 2:19 to play.
Eric at the line and is good for at least one as he makes the first. The second shot is just as good and will pull the Rams to within two. 24-22 ODU leads TJ grabs a board off a missed James floater. VCU with the chance to tie, or take the lead.
Larry gets a block on James and there is only six seconds on the shot clock. Hassell picks up his second foul and Maynor will go to the free throw line. 24-20 ODU leads with 3:57 to play.
Lee is charged with his first foul, but that is their seventh team foul, and Sanders will now shoot one plus the bonus. He gets the first to go, and the second to follow suit. 6 point game now. VCU is getting killed on the boards. SOOO many second and third chance plays. Maynor gets another three point opportunity, but he misses his shot and VCU trails by 4 with 4:34 to play in the first.
Maynor finally gets his first points of the day, plus the bonus shot. Three point play is good. That will pull the Rams withen 7 points. Our student section needs to wake up. I know it’s daylight savings, but there is a damn game going on. There doesn’t have to be a block or a dunk for you to be involved. GET LOUD!!! Saintil gets his first foul, and that will send Hassell to the charity stripe for the one-and-one.
ODU pushes their lead to 10. 23-13 ODU leads. 6:59 to play in the first.
Timeout called. KP is fouled before the timeout. 5 teams fouls on both teams. Make that 6 on VCU as KP is called for the over the back. Burgess will have to come in and relieve him.
Back from a timeout and TJ scores for the Rams. Lee gets on the board for the first time today. And Nixon turns the ball over on a traveling violation. VCU is doubling on Lee making it hard for him to shoot, but he dishes the ball off and Joey gets called for the foul. Hassell misses his first free shot, but his second is good. KP grabs a rebound off a missed Sanders shot, but he is fouled. Two shots for KP, but he can’t get the first to fall. KP misses both shots. ODU gets an easy open layup right in the middle of our 2-3 zone. Brandon gets another floater in the lane to fall.
ODU gets about three offensive rebounds, but can’t score before the get called for traveling. Sanders checks back in for Nixon. Brandon gets a great little runner from the paint to drop and pulls the Rams withen 3. But Carter gets the points back for ODU. 14-9 ODU leads with 11:17 to play in the first.
VCU is rocking the 2-3 zone and Saintil is guarding Lee. He steps up and intercepts a pass and VCU gets an offensive possession. Eric kicks it under the basket to TJ and he gets the basket plus one. VCU then implements the press and Nixon gets the ball back and Burgess gets the bucket. 10-7 ODU leads. 14:02. Eric gets the ball to TJ again and he is fouled, no shooting though. A missed shot by TJ gets the ball back ODU, but the turn the ball over again. Brandon misses a three and Burgess is called for over the back. Late I might add.
ODU hits a three and then Nixon turns the ball over and ODU gets a dunk. Bradford misses a shot in the paint and ODU gets the board and KP fouls. Not a very good sequence of events. ODU leads 8-2 with 15:30 to play in the first. VCU has 3 fouls to ODU’s no fouls.
VCU turns the ball over as Larry can’t handle a pass from Eric. Joey takes a three point shot, but can’t get it to fall. Eric gets back down the court but fouls Neely on his shot. Nixon checking in for Sanders, as Lee will take a seat also. Neely misses his first, but gets the second to go. ODU leads 3-2 with 16:24 to play in the first.
VCU wins tip. Possession arrow to ODU. Maynor misses his first floater attempt and the board is stolen from Larry. ODU can’t score on the opposing side and the ball goes out of bounds to VCU. This game is fast already. VCU turns the ball over and Larry makes the shot miss for Lee. Larry does get a hook shot to fall onn the other end and VCU is on the scoreboard first. Sanders picks up his first foul though. Stupid foul. Stop leaving the floor. Jumping up to block a shot and gets a foul at the 17:59 mark. ODU ties the game with two foul shots.
2 minutes until tip off and VCU has taken the floor. The place is gonna be rockin’ today.
Welcome Home Everybody! It’s Sunday, Semi’s are almost upon us and we need you here more than ever! But as always, if you can’t make it we appreciate you sticking through the game with us online. I will do my best today to keep the commentary and pictures as fluid as possible. The internet connection here isn’t always reliable, but we are working hard to get you all the video/pictures/blogging possible. 15 minutes until tip off. VCU GO RAMS GO!!!
