ROLAND TO BE FEATURED ON CBS SUNDAY SPECIAL
3-10-07
RICHMOND, Va. - VCU senior center Calvin Roland (Hephzibah, Ga./Hephzibah) will be featured on "The Road to the Final Four" on CBS between 12 and 1 p.m. EDT.
The feature will focus on what Calvin has overcome in his life to this point, as well as his success on the court, including 12 points in the CAA title game Monday against George Mason.
The selection show will also be shown on CBS beginning at 6 p.m. EDT.
MAYNOR LEADS LATE SURGE TO GIVE VCU THE 2007 CAA CHAMPIONSHIP
3-5-07
Box Score
Photo Gallery
RICHMOND, Va. – Top-seeded VCU staged a dramatic comeback in the final two minutes and defeated #6 George Mason 65-59 in the title game of the 2007 Aeropostale CAA Men’s Basketball Championship before a sell-out crowd of 11,200 at the Richmond Coliseum Monday night.
The Patriots looked to be in control by taking a 57-52 advantage with just 2:22 remaining. However, the Rams’ sophomore guard Eric Maynor would have no part of it.
The first-team All-CAA guard single-handedly spurred a 9-0 run all by himself on his way to a 20-point, championship Most Outstanding Player-performance.
The top-seeded Rams (27-6) earned the CAA’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the win, which was its second in the past four years. George Mason, which was the first six-seed to make the championship game since James Madison in 1997, fell to 18-15 despite nearly pulling off its third upset in three days.
The conference couldn’t have asked for a closer contest in the final, which was a rematch of the 2004 title game that also featured a gut-wrenching outcome (55-54) in VCU’s favor. Monday’s final was played before a sell-out crowd for the first time in league history, and the battle between the cheering contingents in the stands was just as intense as the action on the court.
The game was a back-and-forth physical battle, one that was tied at 52 apiece with just over three minutes remaining. At the 2:57 mark, Mason’s Will Thomas muscled home an improbable dunk while getting fouled, and converted the ensuing free throw to complete the three-point play. Teammate Folarin Campbell drained a pair of his own free throws at 2:22 to give the Patriots a five-point lead, and seemingly, the game’s final momentum swing. It was then that Maynor took over the show.
The sophomore, who headed up the Rams’ full-court trapping press throughout the game, made a steal in the backcourt and converted a lay-up while getting fouled by Mason’s Gabe Norwood with 1:54 remaining. His free-throw try was true, and the Patriots’ lead was cut to two, 57-55. As Norwood began to dribble up the floor on the next possession, Maynor quickly snatched the ball again, and tied the game at 57 with a lay-up.
Following a Mason timeout, the VCU defense forced Campbell into an errant three-point attempt as the shot clock expired - a miss that Maynor gathered in as part of his seven rebounds on the night. He then drove the lane to hit an off-balance jumper with 45 seconds remaining, putting VCU up 59-57.
Mason had a chance to tie on a Campbell layup, but junior forward Wil Fameni swatted it into the Patriots’ student-section with 30 ticks left. Dre Smith then missed a three-pointer off the inbounds pass, and Maynor grabbed the board before being intentionally fouled. He drained the two free throws with 19 seconds on the clock to cap his personal 9-0 run and give the Rams a 61-57 lead.
A Norwood jumper was sandwiched by four free throws by VCU senior guard B.A. Walker to reach the final score.
The win completed a three-game sweep on the season for the Rams over the Patriots. VCU won 75-62 on Jan. 24 in Fairfax, and 63-49 on Feb. 8 in Richmond. The 27 wins for VCU is a school-record, and is the third-ever CAA championship for the Rams. All three titles have come after being the league’s top team in the regular season, and this year’s win extended a five-year streak in which the league champion has been a No. 1 seed.
The first half was a see-saw physical battle, as the two squads slugged it out to an intermission score of 31-27 in Mason’s favor. Although the teams shot a combined 50 percent in the half, the score was tied at just 13 with under eight minutes to go after VCU used its full-court defense to hurry the Patriots, and Mason forced the Rams to settle for a 1-7 performance from the arc due to an in-your-jersey style of defense. The Rams took their first lead of the game at 7:38 on a Maynor free throw, and the scoring picked up from there to the tune of six ties and four lead changes. Mason took the four-point lead into the half after embarking on a 10-4 run over the last three minutes.
For the game, Maynor tallied four assists and three steals to go with his 20 points and seven rebounds. He was joined by three other Rams in double-figures, and Fameni tallied 13 – including 11 in the first half – to go with eight rebounds. Senior center Calvin Roland picked up the slack in the second stanza, netting 10 of his 12 after the half. Walker chipped in 10 including a 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line.
George Mason was paced by Smith, who had 12 points on 5-of-13 shopoting. He drained a pair of three-pointers to total 14 in the Patriots’ four-games, a mark that stands as the new tournament record. Thomas and Norwood each tallied 10 points apiece.
Joining Maynor on the All-Tournament Team were a pair of teammates, junior forward Michael Anderson and senior guard Jesse Pellot-Rosa, in addition to Mason’s Campbell and Smith, and Drexel’s Frank Elegar.
PELLOT-ROSA LEADS RAMS TO CAA TITLE GAME WITH 63-56 WIN OVER DREXEL
3-4-07
Box Score
RICHMOND, Va. – Senior guard Jesse Pellot-Rosa (Richmond, Va./George Wythe) fought through a foot injury to score 16 points and lead top-seeded Virginia Commonwealth University to the CAA title game for the third time in the past four seasons after posting a 63-56 victory over No. 4 Drexel on Sunday afternoon in semifinal action of the 2007 Aeropostale CAA Men’s Basketball Championship at the Richmond Coliseum.
The Rams improved to 26-6 overall, tying a school record for victories in a season, while the Dragons, who have won their most games since 1996-97, dropped to 23-8.
Each squad traded field goals over the first nine minutes of the contest as VCU held a 13-12 advantage with 11:03 to go in the opening period. Drexel scored the next five points on a dunk by junior center Frank Elegar and a Bashir Mason trey to go ahead by four at 17-13 with 9:03 remaining. Pellot-Rosa’s three-pointer and layup sparked a VCU rally as the Rams answered with a 10-3 run to pull in front by three with just under five minutes left.
Drexel cut VCU’s lead to one at 23-22 with 4:07 to go before the Rams ended the half on an 11-2 spurt to claim a 34-24 lead at the break.
There were eight lead changes and a combined 24 turnovers in the first half.
Momentum would continue in VCU’s direction as the Rams opened the first four minutes of the second period on a 14-6 run that extended their lead to 18 points at 48-30. Drexel responded with 12 unanswered points to pull within six with 9:04 remaining and got within five at 54-49 with just over two minutes to go. That was as close as the Dragons would get as VCU hit 7 of 11 free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
VCU got 16 points from Pellot-Rosa, who was a perfect 4-of-4 from the three-point range, and junior forward Michael Anderson, who also contributed a team-best eight rebounds. Senior guard B.A. Walker finished with 14 points for the Rams.
Elegar paced the Drexel offense with 15 points on 7-of-9 FG shooting and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds. Mason was the only other Dragon in double digits with 12 points.
The Rams shot 64% (7 of 11) from behind the arch and 50% overall, while Drexel converted on just 3 of 16 three-point opportunities but still managed to hit 45.8% from the floor.
VCU will play No. 6 George Mason in the championship game on Monday night at 7 p.m.
GWYNN SCORES 14 OFF BENCH AS TOP-SEEDED VCU ADVANCES IN CAA TOURNEY
3-3-07
Box Score
RICHMOND, Va. – Freshman forward T.J. Gwynn (Burlington, N.C./Cummings) scored 13 of his team-high 14 points in the second hald as top-seeded Virginia Commonwealth University defeated No. 9 Georgia State, 73-60, in Saturday’s quarterfinal action of the 2007 Aeropostale CAA Men’s Basketball Championship at the Richmond Coliseum.
VCU opened the game with a three-point play by junior forward Michael Anderson (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown) and led from start to finish. The Rams jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the first 3:55 and held a 16-point advantage at 23-7 with 9:16 remaining in the first half. Georgia State answered with an 11-2 spurt of their own led by sophomore Leonard Mendez, who had two of his three first half three-pointers, to pull within seven points at 29-22 with 4:36 to go. Each squad traded baskets over the remainder of the period as VCU held a 43-33 halftime lead.
Georgia State came out of the locker room on a 12-5 run that allowed the Panthers to get within three points at 48-45 with 13:39 remaining. Mendez again led the charge for State as he hit two treys and scored eight of the 12 points. VCU held the Panthers scoreless over the next 6:34 as the Rams scored 12 straight points to build a 15-point lead of 60-45. VCU built an 18-point lead and added to the 12-point run as the Rams finished the spurt having scored 22 of the next 29 points, with Gwynn tallying 13.
Junior guard Jamal Shuler (Jacksonville, N.C./Jacksonville) added 13 points for the Rams and Anderson finished with 12 points and eight boards. Sophomore point guard Eric Maynor (Fayetteville, N.C./Westover) chipped in 10 points and dished out nine assists for VCU.
Mendez netted a game-high 22 points for Georgia State, which included 6-of-11 shooting from three-point range. Senior forward Lance Perique added 15 points and junior center Deven Dickerson scored 13 points and grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds.
VCU will play No. 4 Drexel in Sunday’s first semifinal at 3:00 p.m.
VCU TO FACE GEORGIA STATE IN QUARTERFINALS OF CAA TOURNAMENT
3-2-07
RICHMOND, Va. – Top-seeded VCU will meet No. 9 Georgia State in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association Tournament on Saturday, March 3, at 12 noon at the Richmond Coliseum.
The Panthers got an off-balanced three-pointer from Leonard Mendez at the buzzer to defeat No. 8 William & Mary 70-68 in Friday's first-round game.
The Rams topped the Panthers twice during the regular season. VCU outscored GSU 100-71 on Feb. 3 at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The Rams nipped the Panthers 72-70 a week ago in Atlanta in the regular-season finale.
GRANT NAMED CAA COACH OF THE YEAR
Maynor, Walker, Pellot-Rosa, Gwynn, Roland earn All-CAA honors
click here for team notes for CAA Tournament
click here for player notes for CAA Tournament
3-1-07
RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University’s Anthony Grant has been named Coach of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association in voting by the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and members of the media. Grant was recognized at the awards banquet on the eve of the CAA Tournament.
Other Rams earning all-conference honors include sophomore guard Eric Maynor (Fayetteville, N.C./Westover) as All-CAA First Team, senior guard B.A. Walker (Onancock, Va./Nandua) as All-CAA Second Team, senior guard Jesse Pellot-Rosa (Richmond, Va./George Wythe) as All-CAA Third Team, freshman T.J. Gwynn (Burlington, N.C./Cummings) as All-Rookie Team and senior center Calvin Roland (Hephzibah, Ga./Hephzibah) as All-Academic Team.
In his first season with the Rams, Grant has guided VCU to a 24-6 overall record and 16-2 in the CAA. VCU enjoyed winning streaks of seven and 10 games this season. The Rams set a school and CAA record with 16 conference victories. VCU will be the No. 1 seed in this weekend’s CAA Tournament.
Grant is the second Ram to be named CAA Coach of the Year. Sonny Smith received the honor following the 1995-96 season, VCU’s first campaign in the CAA.
Maynor is first in the CAA and seventh in Division I in assists with 6.4 per contest. He also leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio at 3.20. A two-time CAA Player of the Week, Maynor has 192 assists this season, five away from the school record. He had a career-high 15 assists against Georgia State, one away from the VCU record. Maynor is second on the team and 11th in the league in scoring with 13.8 points per game. He is eighth in the CAA in free throw percentage at .773.
VCU is the only school to have had a First Team All-CAA performer for each of the past seven seasons.
Walker leads the Rams and is eighth in the CAA in scoring with 15.3 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 13 of the past 14 contests. Walker is 11th on VCU’s career scoring list with 1,421 points. Walker is VCU’s career leader with 260 three-pointers, ninth on the CAA career list. Walker is third in the league with 2.77 treys per game and seventh in the CAA in three-point percentage at .421. Walker leads the team in free throw shooting at .869. Earlier this week, Walker was named to the NABC All-District First Team.
Pellot-Rosa is third on the team and 16th in the CAA in scoring with 13.4 points per game. He is 25th on VCU’s career scoring list with 1,065 points. Pellot-Rosa is third in the conference in three-point percentage (.434) and eighth with 1.87 treys per contest. Pellot-Rosa is fifth in the CAA in free-throw percentage at .802. He is sixth on VCU’s career steals list with 143.
Gwynn has appeared in all 30 games for the Rams this season and is averaging 4.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest. A three-time CAA Rookie of the Week, Gwynn registered season highs with 22 points and five steals in VCU’s win at William & Mary. He had 20 points and six rebounds in a win at Richmond. Gwynn is shooting 57% from the floor this season, including 43% on three-pointers.
Roland has returned to action for the Rams after missing all of last season with a back injury. Roland has appeared in 29 games with six starts. He is averaging 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest. He scored 10 points early in the season against Toledo and matched that total at home in a victory against George Mason. Roland had six points and pulled down six rebounds in a home win over Old Dominion. Roland earned a bachelor’s degree this past May and is currently working on a master’s degree through the VCU SportsCenter.
VCU earned a bye in the first round of the CAA Tournament. The Rams begin play on Saturday, March 3, at 12 noon at the Richmond Coliseum against the winner of #8 William & Mary and #9 Georgia State.
WALKER NAMED TO NABC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM
2-28-07
RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University senior guard B.A. Walker has been named to the All-District First Team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
A native of Onancock, Va., and a 2003 graduate of Nandua High School, Walker leads the Rams and is eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game. He has started all 30 games and scored in double figures 26 times this season, including 13 of the past 14 contests. Walker is third in the CAA with 2.77 three-pointers per game and seventh in the league in three-point percentage at .421. Walker leads the team in free throw shooting (.869) and has made 41 of his past 46 free throws.
Walker is VCU’s career leader in three-point field goals with 260, the ninth-highest total in CAA history. Walker is 11th on VCU’s career scoring list with 1,421 points.
Under first-year head coach Anthony Grant, VCU is 24-6 overall and 16-2 in the CAA. The Rams set a school and CAA record for conference victories in a season. VCU will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CAA Tournament at the Richmond Coliseum. The Rams earned a first-round bye and will meet the winner of No. 8 William & Mary and No. 9 Georgia State on Saturday, March 3, at 12 noon.
Walker is now eligible for the NABC Division I All-America teams to be announced at the conclusion of the 2006-07 NCAA regular season.
FANS LOOK FOR VICTORY IN FINAL REGULAR-SEASON HOME GAME
2-20-07
click here for team notes for JMU game
click here for player notes for JMU game
RICHMOND, Va. - VCU returns to CAA action on Wednesday, Feb. 21, with a 7:30 p.m. contest against James Madison. It will be the final regular-season appearance for VCU's four seniors: Matt Coward, Calvin Roland, Jesse Pellot-Rosa and B.A. Walker.
The Rams are 22-6 overall and 14-2 in conference play. If VCU wins its final two games, it will secure the CAA regular-season title for the second time in the past four seasons.
The Dukes are 7-20 overall and 4-12 in CAA action. The Dukes are 4-9 at home, 2-10 away and 1-1 on neutral floors.
VCU is 37-18 all-time against JMU. The Rams are 21-7 at home, including 6-1 at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. VCU is 14-10 in Harrisonburg and 2-1 on neutral courts. VCU defeated JMU 77-61 earlier this season in Harrisonburg.
RAMS PUT FIVE IN DOUBLE FIGURES, BUT FALL TO BRAVES 73-64
2-17-07
Box Score
RICHMOND, Va. - VCU had five players score in double figures, but it was not enough to offset 22 points by Jeremy Crouch as Bradley claimed a 73-64 victory in a BracketBusters matchup Saturday evening in front of a sellout crowd of 7,584 at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
Crouch hit his first three shots behind the arc as the Braves (19-10) built an 11-6 lead in the first five minutes. After Crouch's fourth trey gave BU a 14-11 advantage, the Rams (22-6) scored 11 straight points, capped by a pair of three-pointers by senior guard Jesse Pellot-Rosa, to take a 22-14 lead with nine minutes left in the period. Pellot-Rosa's third trey of the half gave the Rams their largest lead at 28-18 with seven minutes left in the half. Bradley then used a 16-4 spurt to take a 34-32 edge with 27 seconds left. Freshman forward T.J. Gwynn completed a three-point play with 8.7 seconds left to give the home team a 35-34 advantage at the break.
Gwynn's layup on VCU's first possession of the second half put the Rams on top 37-34. The Braves then used an 18-7 run to take a 52-44 lead with 11:30 left in the contest. VCU made several runs at Bradley, but the visitors always had an answer. The Braves scored their final eight points from the free throw line to secure the 73-64 victory.
Pellot-Rosa finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Senior guard B.A. Walker had 12 points and four assists. Junior guard Jamal Shuler and junior forward Michael Anderson each had 11 points, while Gwynn finished with 10 points and six boards.
Crouch was 8-11 from the floor and 6-9 on three-pointers. Daniel Ruffin had 19 points and six assists for the Braves. Zach Andrews added 12 points with eight rebounds, while Will Franklin finished with 11 points.
VCU returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 24, with a 7:30 p.m. home CAA contest against James Madison at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
VCU WINS AT UNC WILMINGTON 78-68
2-14-07
Box Score
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Sophomore guard Eric Maynor scored seven of his 15 points in the final five minutes to lead Virginia Commonwealth University to a 78-68 victory at UNC Wilmington Wednesday evening in Colonial Athletic Association action at Trask Coliseum.
Maynor was one of five Rams (22-5, 14-2 CAA) to score in double figures. VCU stays in first place in the CAA. The Seahawks fell to 6-19 overall and 3-13 in league play.
With five minutes remaining, VCU held a 61-55 lead. Maynor hit three buckets and a free throw to keep VCU ahead 68-61 with two minutes to go. The Rams hit 10 consecutive free throws in the final minute to secure the win.
UNCW shot 62% from the floor in the first half and built a 17-10 oead in the first 6:30 of the contest before VCU used a 21-7 run over the nest 11 minutes to take a 38-30 advantage. The Seahawks scored the final three points of the period and trailed 38-33 at the break.
Senior guard Jesse Pellot-Rosa led all scorers with 18 points and became the 26th VCU player to reach 1,000 career points. Senior guard B.A. Walker had 14 points. Junior guard Jamal Shuler had 13 points off the bench and junior forward Wil Fameni finished with 10 points.
Forward Todd Hendley paced the Seahawks with 15 points.
VCU returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 17, with an 8 p.m. Bracket Busters game against Bradley at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
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