PELLOT-ROSA, WALKER LEAD RAMS PAST DUKES 83-72 ON SENIOR NIGHT
2-21-07
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University, led by senior guard Jesse Pellot-Rosa’s (Richmond, Va./George Wythe) 19 points and B.A. Walker’s (Onancock, Va./Nandua) 16 points, beat James Madison University, 83-72, in Colonial Athletic Association action Wednesday night at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

First-place VCU (23-6, 15-2), who shot a season-high 61.4% from the floor, opened the game on an 8-0 run in the first 1:48 with a dunk by senior center Calvin Roland (Hephzibah, Ga./Hephzibah) and a pair of three-pointers by Pellot-Rosa and Walker.  The Rams would extend their lead to 14 points, the largest of the game, at 23-9 with 12:04 remaining in the first half.  VCU closed the period with seven free throws and took a 38-29 advantage into the locker room.

James Madison (7-21, 4-13) opened the second half on a 13-6 run to cut the Rams’ lead to 44-42 with 16:44 to go.  The Dukes pulled within one point at 48-47 on a free throw by junior forward Terrance Carter (District Heights, Md./Largo), but VCU used an 11-2 spurt over a 1:29 span to go back ahead by nine points at 58-49 with 10:09 remaining.  The two teams traded baskets over the next six minutes as VCU held a 78-68 advantage with 3:10 left in the game.

Sophomore guard Eric Maynor (Fayetteville, N.C./Westover) added 13 points and eight assists for the Rams and junior forward Wil Fameni (Duoala, Cameroon/Amelia Academy) chipped in 11 points.

Carter paced the Dukes with a game-high 21 points, while sophomore Kyle Swanston (Spring Hill, Fla./Worcester Academy) scored 14 points.  Sophomore Juwann James (Jacksonville, Fla./Rains) and freshman Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East) added 13 points and 12 points, respectively.

VCU, under the direction of first-year head coach Anthony Grant, travel to Georgia State on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for their regular-season finale.