There’s an old saying that goes something like, “If you don’t have a Brandon…you better have a BrandenBERG”..or something, I forget.
Anyway…with VCU’s third leading scorer, Brandon Rozzell, shelved for the next several weeks after breaking his hand in practice, the Black-and-Gold needed a young guard to step up in a road test that saw the Rams blow a 13-point halftime lead just a season prior.  They found several willing participants in tonight’s victory  against the newly mascotted Tribe/Griffins of William and Mary.
Freshman Rob Brandenberg scored a career high 22 points in the 70-52 win, the Rams 12th of the season. Â Brandenberg had previously sniffed double digit points in non-conference tilts against Winthrop (8), UCLA (9), Tulane (8), and Wofford (7), but never quite saw the minutes needed for the true breakout performance.
He got those minutes tonight (23) in front of a rowdy batch of VCU fans who made the short trip down 64 East, and rewarded them for their support.
As soon as the Tribe could pull the game within a manageable 3-point deficit, Brandenberg taketh away, going on a 19-point second half tear that silenced the aging William and Mary fan base.
The freshman, who was once a potential redshirt candidate, scored the most points as a freshman since Dom Jones some 11 years ago.
Sophomore Darius Theus didn’t put up 22, but he managed to fill the rest of the stat sheet, posting a gritty 7 points to go along with a team leading 6 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks on the evening.
Jamie Skeen posted yet another double double, adding 15 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
Skeen was able to draw double teams in the second half, freeing up Rams to shoot a respectable 40% (11-27) from behind the arch on the evening.
Enjoy these highlights of the game as VCU prepares to take on yet another 4-win team in the Huskies of Northeastern this Saturday in a noon tip at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
