For 16 minutes and 44 seconds of tonight’s game Fordham looked like the better team. For the remaining 23 minutes and 16 seconds VCU looked like a pro team playing a group of college kids, pulling away to blowout Fordham, 85-66.
The Rams started off slowly in the Bronx tonight, connecting on just 34.5% of their first half buckets to Fordham’s 42.9%, yet took a two-point lead into the half before routing Fordham after the break.
VCU hit 48.7% of their second half shots and turned a two-point lead into a double-digit one within the first four minutes of the second half, and road Juvonte Reddic’s game-high 22-point 12-rebound double-double to rout the Fordham Rams in VCU’s 21st win of the season.
Reddic and fellow senior, Rob Brandenberg, combined for 20 second half points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and were able to extend the lead to 20 by the 12:22 mark before relaxing for the remainder of the game.
The Rams dominated Fordham on the glass in the second half to the tune of a 21-rebound advantage.
Rob Brandenberg finished with 16 points while first-time starter, Melvin Johnson, dropped 14 in front of his hometown crowd.
Oddly enough, the Fordham Rams won the turnover battle, 14-15 tonight. VCU had eight steals but were unable to wreak their usual level of havoc but were still able to leave New York with the comfortable win despite leading scorer Treveon Graham posting a season-low four points in the effort.
The Rams made up for that output with 24 bench points including seven from redshirt freshmen Mo Alie-Cox.
The win moves VCU to 9-4 in conference play, good for fourth currently due to a head-to-head tie-breaking loss at UMass just a game ago.
VCU (21-7, 9-3) will take on league leader, No.10 Saint Louis (25-3, 12-1), who’ll come to Richmond after suffering an upset home loss to Duquesne tonight.
