RAMS WIN HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE OVER TRIBE, 88-77
Gwynn pours in career-high 22 points
1-10-07
boxscore

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Freshman T.J. Gwynn poured in a career-high 22 points as the VCU men’s basketball improved to a perfect 5-0 mark in the CAA with an 88-77 victory over the College of William & Mary on Wednesday evening.

The Rams improve to 13-3 overall on the 2006-2007 season, as the Tribe’s seven-game winning streak is snapped and they fall to 10-5, 3-2 in the conference.

After the Tribe jumped out to an 8-2 lead, the Rams responded with an 14-0 run of their own spurred by seven points from Gwynn and held a 16-8 advantage with 10:34 showing on the first half clock.

The Tribe responded with two three-pointers from Nathan Mann and tied the game at 18-18 with a lay-up from Alex Smith with 8:31 remaining in the half.

After trading baskets for the final minutes of the first half, Eric Maynor hit a three-pointer with :06.2 showing on the clock and was fouled on the play. Maynor converted the free throw and gave the Black and Gold its biggest lead of the first half, 39-29, as the teams headed to the intermission.

The Rams jumped out of the locker room with four straight points and after a dunk by junior Michael Anderson, the Black and Gold led 43-29 with 19:22 showing on the game clock.

The Tribe answered with three-pointers from David Schneider and Adam Payton to cut the lead to 46-37 with 16:30 left in regulation.

William & Mary cut the lead to 61-58 with 7:24 left to play as Payton rolled off four straight points and the Tribe scored 18 points out of their first 29 points from the charity stripe to start the second half.

Senior B.A. Walker led a Black and Gold comeback as he scored five straight points to extend the VCU lead to 67-58 with 6:26 remaining

Payton would keep the Tribe in the contest as he scored the next four points for William & Mary, but senior Calvin Roland converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 4:08 left in the contest to give the Rams a 74-63 lead.

VCU would be clutch from the charity stripe down the stretch as the Rams were a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line as the Black and Gold closed out the 88-77 victory.

Gwynn poured in a career-high as the freshman recorded 22 points and sophomore guard Eric Maynor added 19 in the Rams victory. Pellot-Rosa was the third Ram in double-figures as he drained three three-pointers in the contest and collected 20 points in the contest.

The Rams return to action on Saturday evening at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center as the Tigers of Towson University come to Richmond for a 7:30 p.m. contest.