The VCU men’s basketball team survived in overtime on Thursday night. The Wm. & Mary Tribe came scary close to upsetting the Rams on their Broad Street home court: VCU 69, W&M 68.

VCU’s overall record is 14-5. The Rams have gone 5-2 in Colonial Athletic Association games, with 11 more to go in the regular season. That has them in third place behind Mason and ODU; both schools have 6-1 conference records. The bad news is that VCU stands at 92 on the RPI chart. The good news is the Rams have sold out a dozen consecutive home games.

The following report on the game is from Scott Day in VCU’s athletic department:

RICHMOND, Va. – Some players are just born with a knack for delivering in clutch moments. Junior Darius Theus of the VCU men’s basketball team is showing he was gifted with that knack.

Theus’ drove to the lane, spun and dropped in a game-winning layup with less than 10 seconds left in overtime to give the Rams a dramatic 69-68 win over in-state rival William & Mary on Thursday evening in front of a national television audience. It’s the second time this year that the junior delivered a game-winning overtime layup (see Akron – Dec.29).

“They had been switching on ball screens all night and we were able to get Darius in a mismatch with one of the William & Mary forwards,” Head Coach Shaka Smart said. “He did a nice job getting to the hoop and more importantly finishing.”

The dramatic finish overshadow a career night from sophomore Juvonte Reddic (pictured above), who finished with a career-high 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting, six rebounds and a career-high six steals. Theus added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, while freshman Treveon Graham was the third Ram in double-figures with 10 points and six rebounds.

Watching the win was the 12th consecutive sellout crowd at the Verizon Wireless Arena, extending the VCU’s school and conference record in that category.

“It’s really an unbelievable experience being able to play in front of a sellout crowd every night,” Theus said. “We know we’re incredibly blessed to have the support that we do here at home.”

The game started as the Juvonte Reddic show with the Winston-Salem, N.C. native scoring 15 of VCU’s first 18 points, leading the Rams to a quick 10-point advantage, 18-8.

Marcus Thornton and Quinn McDowell would keep the Tribe close, combining for 17 first-half points and bringing William & Mary within three, but VCU closed the stanza on an 11-6 run to take a 34-26 cushion into the break.

Offense became a premium in the second half with both teams struggling from the field and the majority of action coming at the charity stripe. The teams combined for 35 second-half free-throws, but it was Brandon Britt’s three-pointer with 3:45 to play that gave William & Mary their first lead of the game at 53-52.

Theus and McDowell would trade baskets before Britt would connect on a three-point play to give the Tribe a 58-56 lead with 1:20 to play. Theus struck again with a three-pointer from the top of the arc to regain the lead in VCU’s favor, 59-58.

McDowell connected on a pair of free-throws with 51 seconds left before Theus evened the score at 60-60 with a free-throw of his own to set up William & Mary with the final possession of regulation.

Thornton drove the lane, but sophomore Rob Brandenberg delivered a huge block and gave VCU a chance to win, but a last ditch three-point attempt was off the mark and the game headed to an extra period.

William & Mary would grab a three-point lead, but a lay-up by Reddic and a charge drawn by freshman Briante Weber allowed the Rams to quickly turn it around and grab a 67-66 lead with just over a minute left. Tim Rusthoven slipped behind the defense for a basket to give the Tribe the lead with just under a minute and set up Theus’ heroics in the final 10 seconds.

“I’m really proud of Darius, he’s really become the leader of this team. That’s certainly what you look for in your point guard,” Smart said.

VCU tallied 11 steals on the night, marking the 11th time this year that the Rams reached double-digits in the steals column. The Black & Gold currently rank fifth in the country with 9.7 thefts per game.

The Rams will now have a quick turnaround with a showdown with in-state and hated rival Old Dominion less than 48 hours away on Saturday. Comcast SportsNet will be televising the highly-anticipated matchup which is set to tip-off at 8:07 at the Siegel Center.

Click here to see the game’s box score.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Keith Rendleman, UNCW, Jr., F, 6-7, 215 – Iron Station, N.C./East Lincoln

Rendleman averaged 20.0 points and 12.0 rebounds to lead UNCW to a 3-0 week in CAA play. The junior forward posted double-doubles in wins over Delaware (24 points/career-high 18 rebounds) and Northeastern (17 points/10 rebounds) and had a team-high 19 points and eight boards in a triumph over Hofstra. Rendleman, who has 7 double-doubles this season, shot 61.3% from the floor and 84.6% from the line last week.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:

Marcus Thornton, William & Mary, Fr., G, 6-4, 170

Thornton averaged 19.3 points and was William & Mary’s leading scorer in all three games last week. The freshman guard poured in a career-high 23 points at George Mason, tallied a team-high 16 points in a 68-61 win over James Madison and had a game-high 19 points, four rebounds and three assists in a setback to Delaware. For the week, Thornton shot 44% from the floor, including 6-of-14 (42.9%) from 3-point range.

CONFERENCE NOTES:

Mason Moves Atop CAA Standings: George Mason moved atop the CAA standings at 4-0 after edging Georgia State, 61-58, last Saturday in a battle of unbeaten league squads. Mike Morrison had 14 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and 4 blocks for the Patriots, who won their fifth straight game. The Panthers, who got a game-high 19 points from Jihad Ali, had their school-record 11-game winning streak come to an end. Earlier last week, Mason posted its first victory at ODU’s Constant Center in eight years by beating the Monarchs 63-54, while GSU edged VCU 55-53, which snapped the Rams’ eight-game win streak and was its first win ever at VCU’s Siegel Center. Joining GSU in a tie for second are UNCW, which is 3-1 for the first time since 2005-06, Old Dominion and Delaware.

Streaking: Several CAA teams continue to play well. George Mason has won five in a row and 10 of its last 12. Georgia State has won 11 of its last 12 after having an 11-game win streak snapped by Mason last Saturday, while Drexel has captured eight of its last nine. Despite two losses last week, VCU has won 10 of its last 13. UNCW has won four in a row and seven of its last nine and Northeastern has won three of its last four.

Road Teams Have Early Success: Home court hasn’t been a big advantage through the early part of CAA play. Road teams won eight times last week and are 11-13 through 24 conference contests.

Mason Sets Record For Consecutive CAA Victories: George Mason has now won 18 consecutive CAA regular-season games, breaking the record of 17 set by Richmond (Feb., 1988-Feb. 1999). The Patriots closed last season with 14 straight victories in league play and are 4-0 in CAA play for the first time since 2008-09 this year. Mason had never won more than seven straight CAA games prior to the current streak.

Doing It With Defense: Defense has been outstanding in the CAA this season. Three teams (Drexel, Georgia State and VCU) are holding opponents to under 61 points per game, while GSU, George Mason, Delaware and Drexel are limiting foes to less than 40% FG shooting. Drexel is 6th nationally in 3-point FG defense (26.3%) and 9th in scoring defense (55.6 ppg), while GSU is 16th in FG% defense (37.5%) and 17th in scoring defense (57.7 ppg). VCU leads the CAA and ranks 6th in Division I with 9.9 steals per game and is 5th in opponent’s turnover rate (26.3%). GSU, Old Dominion and Northeastern are also averaging better than 8.4 steals per game. The Rams are 4th in Division I in turnover margin (+6.0 tpg).

UNCW’s Smith Ranked 3rd Among Freshmen Scorers: UNCW guard Adam Smith ranked third in scoring among all freshmen in Division I through games of Jan. 8. Smith, who is averaging 16.9 ppg, trails only Kyle Vinales of Central Connecticut (19.5 ppg) and Juan’ya Green of Niagara (19.1 ppg). Smith has scored double figures in 12 of 14 UNCW games, including a UNCW freshman-record 32 points at Wake Forest, a 27-point effort at Toledo and 23 points at Maryland.

Changing Of The Guard: It’s been a year of change around the CAA as many young players and newcomers are making an impact. As of Jan. 9, there were eight seniors among the league’s top 19 in scoring along with four sophomores and two freshmen. Last season, eight of the CAA’s top 10 scorers were seniors.

Freshmen Making An Impact: Freshmen are seeing significant playing time around the CAA this season. All 12 CAA teams have at least one freshman on their team who is averaging better than 16 minutes per game and JMU is the only team that hasn’t had a freshman start at least one game. Five freshmen are among the CAA’s top 30 in scoring – UNCW’s Adam Smith, Drexel’s Damion Lee, W&M’s Marcus Thornton, UD’s Kyle Anderson and NU’s Quincy Ford. Three are among the top 15 in assists – Towson’s Kris Walden, Mason’s Corey Edwards, and Delaware’s Khalid Lewis. Three are in the top 15 in steals – VCU’s Briante Weber, NU’s Ford and Mason’s Edwards. There are also two in the top 20 in rebounding – UNCW’s Cedrick Williams and NU’s Ford.

From CAA To NBA: The CAA is well-represented with five players on NBA rosters to start the season. Former CAA players include Northeastern’s J.J. Barea (Minnesota Timberwolves), Hofstra’s Charles Jenkins (Golden State Warriors), VCU’s Eric Maynor (Oklahoma City Thunder), Towson’s Gary Neal (San Antonio Spurs) and VCU’s Larry Sanders (Milwaukee Bucks).

UD’s Hagins Ranks 5th Nationally In Rebounding: Delaware junior Jamelle Hagins ranks fifth in the nation in rebounding at 11.8 rpg according to the latest NCAA stats through games of Jan 8. ODU’s Chris Cooper is 20th in rebounds (10.3 rpg) and UNCW’s Keith Rendleman is 21st (10.3 rpg). In other statistical categories, Hofstra’s Mike Moore is 8th in scoring (21.1 ppg), UD’s Devon Saddler is 27th (19.4 ppg) and Mason’s Ryan Pearson is 49th (18.2 ppg). GSU’s Eric Buckner is 16th in blocks (2.8 bpg) and VCU’s Briante Weber and ODU’s Kent Bazemore are 18th in steals (2.4 spg). In team categories, Drexel is 9th in the nation in scoring defense (55.6 ppg) and 6th in 3-pt FG percentage defense, Georgia State is 16th in FG% defense (37.5%) and 17th in scoring defense (57.7 ppg) and VCU is 6th in steals per game (9.9 spg). A complete list of CAA players among national leaders can be found on Page 4 of this release.

GSU’s Fields On Cousy Award Watch List: Georgia State senior guard James Fields is among the candidates for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. Fields is contributing 8.9 ppg for the Panthers this season and has 41 assists with just 21 turnovers.

Doubling Up: Eleven CAA players have already recorded two or more double-doubles this season. ODU senior Chris Cooper has recorded nine double-doubles and Delaware junior Jamelle Hagins also has nine double-doubles, including seven that were recorded in consecutive games from Nov. 26-Dec. 19. Cooper and Hagins are tied for 8th in the nation in double-doubles this season. UNCW’s Keith Rendleman has seven double-doubles, George Mason’s Ryan Pearson has six and Towson’s Robert Nwankwo has four. Eleven of the 12 CAA teams have a player with at least one double-double.

VCU’s Burgess Leads Nation In Consecutive Starts: VCU senior Bradford Burgess has made 126 consecutive starts, which is the longest active streak in Division I basketball and is the VCU and CAA all-time record. With 17 more starts, Burgess would pass Patrick Ewing’s record of 142 straight starts at Georgetown. Burgess is also the CAA’s career scoring leader among active players with 1,427 points.

Smith’s FT Streak Ends: Northeastern’s Joel Smith was 20-for-20 at the FT line this season before missing against ODU on Dec. 3. Smith is shooting a league-best 93.5% (29-of-31) for the season.

Two CAA Teams In Mid-Major Top 25 Poll: Two CAA teams were ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll released on Jan. 2 by CollegeInsider.com. George Mason was the top-ranked CAA squad at #13, while VCU was right behind at #14. Georgia State and Drexel got votes. The Missouri Valley led all conferences with four teams in the poll, followed by the West Coast with three. The CAA was among five other conferences with two teams ranked. A new poll will be released on Monday evening.

Click here to visit the CAA’s web site for more information.

The visiting Rams’ harassing defense collapsed a 12-point lead the determined Zips had gradually fashioned in the second half. Then, in overtime, VCU outlasted Akron in an entertaining tilt that had the feel of a postseason affair: VCU 76, Akron 75.

Rams senior forward, Brad Burgess, overcame an off-night shooting from the field (4-13), to lead his young teammates to a good win on the road. Burgess went 10-for-10 at the charity stripe to score 19 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds, and he added two assists and two steals to his stat-line.

Click here to see the box score and more.

The Rams have finished 2011 with seven consecutive wins. Next up for VCU (10-3, 1-0 in CAA) is a Jan. 2 road game (7 p.m.) at Hofstra (6-7, 0-1 in CAA).

*

The information below was provided by Scott Day at VCU:

AKRON, Ohio: Great teams always find ways to win.

That’s what the VCU men’s basketball team did when senior Bradford Burgess connected with junior Darius Theus for the game-winning lay-up with :02.1 remaining to give the Rams their seventh straight victory with a 76-75 defeat of Akron.  It marks the fifth time in the past six seasons that the Rams have put together a win streak of seven games or more.

“That was a terrific college basketball game between two teams that were determined not to lose,” Head Coach Shaka Smart said. “I have a ton of respect for Keith and the program here at Akron and it says a lot about our group of guys to show the will they did on a night when things weren’t necessarily going our way. I’m extremely proud of the resolve we showed tonight in a tough atmosphere.”

The stage was set for the Rams, down 75-74, with the last possession of overtime in their hands. Burgess drove the lane and found a cutting Theus, who laid in a basket with :02.1 left to send the Black & Gold back to Richmond with a victory.

“We actually didn’t run the play to perfection, but Brad did a good job of getting in the lane and they kind of lost track of Darius,” Smart said. “Brad was able to see Darius get loose and made a nice pass that Darius was able to lay in before [Zeke] Marshall got over.”

Burgess led the Rams offensively with 19 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists. Freshman Briante Weber (pictured above), who was celebrating his 19th birthday, finished with a jack-of-all trades line with 11 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists. Rob Brandenberg and Theus were the other two Rams in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.

“Coach always talks about playing against adversity and battling through it and I thought that’s what we were able to do tonight,” Burgess said. “This was a big team win for us to play against a good opponent at their place and find a way to win. That’s what it’s all about, finding ways to win.”

After both teams got early baskets, Theus capped off a 9-0 VCU run with a jumper from the right wing that gave the Black & Gold a 15-8 lead with 12:40 remaining in the first half. Akron responded with a 13-1 run of their own to grab a 21-16 advantage.

Back and forth it went through the first half with four ties and seven lead changes before the Zips connected on a couple late three-pointers to take a 36-32 cushion into the break.

The Rams trimmed the lead to two, but back-to-back three-pointers from Chauncey Gilliam and Alex Abreu ignited an 8-0 run to give the Zips their first double-digit lead of the contest. The lead grew to as many as 12 before VCU locked in on the glass.

At one point, VCU was facing a double-digit deficit on the board, but the Rams attacked the glass late and found themselves in a tie game at 65-65 with less than three minutes to play.

Theus drove the lane and found Burgess in the left corner for a wide-open three pointer to give VCU their first lead since early in the first half at 68-65. However, Akron responded with an old-fashioned three-point play by Nikola Cvetinovic to even the score.

Quincy Diggs connected on a lay-up with 34 seconds remaining, but freshman Treveon Graham was fouled late and drilled both free-throws to send the game into overtime.

The Black & Gold would hold the Zips without a field goal in overtime, but four consecutive free-throws by Zeke Marshall gave Akron a 75-74 lead to set-up the final play by Burgess and Theus.

It was the first overtime game for VCU since their dramatic 72-71 win over Florida State in the Sweet Sixteen last March.

The glass was huge for the Rams, who ended up winning the rebounding battle 36-35, including 15 offensive boards. Sophomore D.J. Haley was the biggest force down low with seven points and four rebounds against Marshall, who is a highly-touted NBA prospect.

With the victory, this year’s team becomes just the fourth squad in school history to post an undefeated December. They joined the 2007-08, 1980-81 and 1977-78 teams in going unbeaten in the calendar’s final month.

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

James Fields, Georgia State, Sr., G, 6-4, 182

Fields scored a career-high 18 points and also contributed five assists, four rebounds and four steals as Georgia State won its school-record ninth straight game with a 72-52 triumph over Georgia Southern last Thursday. The senior guard was 7-of-11 from the floor and was a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point range and the free throw line.

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Juvonte Reddic, VCU, So., F, 6-9, 235

Reddic averaged 15.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg as VCU went 2-0 last week to push its winning streak to six. The sophomore forward tallied 16 points and six rebounds in a 68-49 victory over UAB and had 15 points and six boards in an 80-68 triumph at UNCG. For the week, Reddic shot 81.3% (13-of-16) from the floor and was 5-of-6 (83.3%) at the free throw line.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:

Adam Smith, UNCW, Fr., G, 5-11, 160

Smith averaged 20.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg in UNCW’s 1-1 week. The Seahawks’ guard broke the UNCW freshman scoring record with a 32-point performance in an 87-78 setback at ACC member Wake Forest and contributed eight points and four boards in a 67-65 victory over Campbell. For the season, Smith ranks fifth in the CAA in scoring with 17.0 ppg.

CONFERENCE NOTES:

Georgia State Wins School-Record 9th-Straight Game: Georgia State rolled past Georgia Southern 72-52 last Thursday to set a school record with its ninth consecutive victory. The win streak, which broke the mark set during the 2000-01 campaign, is the 9th-longest in Division I currently. James Fields led the Panthers with a career-high 18 points and backcourt mate Devonta White added 17. GSU is giving up just 51.8 ppg while scoring 73.2 ppg during the nine-game run. The Panthers’ 9-3 start is its best since 2000-01 and they are 6-0 at home this season. GSU is off until Jan. 2 when its hosts CAA foe Drexel.

Streaking: Along with Georgia State’s school-record nine-game winning streak, several other CAA teams are playing well. VCU has won six in a row and seven of its last eight. The Rams’ six victories have all been by double digits, which is the first time they have accomplished that feat since 1973-74. Drexel has captured its last four games, James Madison has won five of its last six, including three in a row on the road, and George Mason has claimed six of its last eight contests.

From CAA To NBA: The CAA is well-represented with five players on NBA rosters to start the season. Former CAA players include Northeastern’s J.J. Barea (Minnesota Timberwolves), Hofstra’s Charles Jenkins (Golden State Warriors), VCU’s Eric Maynor (Oklahoma City Thunder), Towson’s Gary Neal (San Antonio Spurs) and VCU’s Larry Sanders (Milwaukee Bucks).

Doing It With Defense: Several CAA teams are excelling defensively. Three teams (Drexel, Georgia State and VCU) are holding opponents under 60 points per game, while George Mason, GSU and Delaware are limiting foes to less than 40% FG shooting. VCU leads the CAA and ranks 6th in Division I with 10.2 steals per game and it’s 2nd in the nation in opposition turnover rate (27%). GSU, Old Dominion and Northeastern are also averaging better than 8.7 steals per game. The Rams are 8th in Division I in turnover margin (+6.5 tpg) and 13th in forced turnovers.

CAA Play Resumes On Jan. 2: This will be the last full week of non-conference action as CAA teams resume league play on Jan. 2 with a stretch of three games in six days. Road teams came out on top in three of the six CAA contests played in December. George Mason won 65-53 at Towson, James Madison picked up a 62-60 victory at Hofstra and Old Dominion earned a 69-59 win at Northeastern. Getting victories at home were Delaware, which beat rival Drexel 71-60, Georgia State, which cruised by William & Mary, 66-34, and VCU, which beat UNCW 87-64.

UNCW’s Smith Ranked 5th Among Freshmen Scorers: UNCW guard Adam Smith ranked fifth in scoring among all freshmen in Division I through games of Dec. 25. Smith trailed Kyle Vinales of Central Connecticut (20.2 ppg), Juan’ya Green of Niagara (19.1 ppg), Justin Edwards of Maine (17.3 ppg) and Stephan Hicks of CS-Northridge (17.1 ppg). Smith has scored double figures in eight of 10 UNCW games, including a UNCW freshman-record 32 points at Wake Forest, a 27-point effort at Toledo and 23 points at Maryland.

Mason’s 18-Game Home Win Streak Ends: George Mason lost 75-64 to Duquesne last Wednesday, ending the 10th-longest active home court streak in the nation at 18 games. It was the first setback at home since the end of the 2009-10 season for the Patriots, who tied the Patriot Center record for consecutive victories.

Changing Of The Guard: It’s been a year of change around the CAA as many young players and newcomers are making an impact. As of Dec. 25, there were only five seniors among the league’s top 15 in scoring along with three sophomores and two freshmen. Last season, eight of the CAA’s top 10 scorers were seniors.

Freshmen Making An Impact: Freshmen are seeing significant playing time around the CAA this season. All 12 CAA teams have at least one freshman on their team who is averaging better than 16 minutes per game and JMU is the only team that hasn’t had a freshman start at least one game. Four freshmen are among the CAA’s top 30 in scoring – UNCW’s Adam Smith, Drexel’s Damion Lee, W&M’s Marcus Thornton and ODU’s Dimitri Batten. Four are among the top 15 in assists – Towson’s Kris Walden, Mason’s Corey Edwards, Delaware’s Khalid Lewis and Drexel’s Lee. Three are in the top 10 in steals – VCU’s Briante Weber, NU’s Quincy Ford and Mason’s Edwards. Three are also three in the top 20 in rebounding – UNCW’s Cedrick Williams and NU teammates Ford and Reggie Spencer.

UD’s Hagins Ranks 6th Nationally In Rebounding: Delaware junior Jamelle Hagins ranked sixth in the nation in rebounding at 11.5 rpg according to the latest NCAA stats through games of Dec. 18. UNCW’s Keith Rendleman was 17th in rebounding with 10.3 rpg and ODU’s Chris Cooper is 29th with 9.8 rpg. In other statistical categories, UD’s Devon Saddler was 12th in scoring (21.3 ppg), JMU’s A.J. Davis was 3rd in 3-point FG percentage (51.4%), GSU’s Eric Buckner was 12th in blocks (3.1 bpg), ODU’s Kent Bazemore was 14th in steals (2.7 spg) and NU’s Joel Smith was 2nd in FT percentage (95.5%). In team categories, Drexel was 9th in the nation in 3-point FG defense (24.7%). James Madison was 16th in 3-point FG percentage (41.4%) and 10th in threes per game (9.3). Old Dominion was 12th in steals per game (9.8 spg). VCU was 11th in turnover margin (+5.4 tpg). A complete listing of statistical leaders can be found on Page 4 of this release.

GSU’s Fields On Cousy Award Watch List: Georgia State senior guard James Fields is among the candidates for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. Fields is contributing 9.0 ppg for the Panthers this season and has 34 assists with just 14 turnovers.

Doubling Up: Seven CAA players have already recorded two or more double-doubles this season. ODU senior Chris Cooper has recorded seven double-doubles, as has Delaware’s Jamelle Hagins, who has recorded seven consecutive double-doubles. UNCW’s Keith Rendleman has five double-doubles and George Mason’s Ryan Pearson and Towson’s Robert Nwankwo each have four. Eleven of the 12 CAA teams have a player with at least one double-double.

Starting Streaks: VCU senior Bradford Burgess has made 122 consecutive starts, which is the longest active streak in Division I basketball and broke the Rams’ all-time record. James Madison senior Julius Wells has started 109 straight games, which ranks second on the Dukes’ career list. Wells ranks 8th on JMU’s all-time scoring list last week with 1,395 points and Burgess is 14th on the VCU’s all-time points list with 1,376 points.

Two CAA Teams In Mid-Major Top 25 Poll: Two CAA teams were ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll released on Dec. 26 by CollegeInsider.com. VCU was the top-ranked CAA squad at #16, while George Mason was ranked #18. Georgia State was among others receiving votes. The Missouri Valley led all conferences with four teams in the poll, followed by the West Coast with three. The CAA was among five other conferences with two teams ranked.

VCU Notes:

•  Have won six in a row and eight of nine after topping UAB 68-49 on Tuesday and UNCG 80-68 on Thursday. The six wins have been by an average of 19.0 ppg.

•  Senior Bradford Burgess broke the VCU consecutive starts (122) record at UNCG where he scored a team-high 19 points.

•  Sophomore Juvonte Reddic scored 16 pts on 8-9 FG shooting vs. UAB and 15 pts on 5-7 shooting at UNCG. Reddic is averaging 15.7 ppg and 7.0 rpg in his last 3 games.

•  VCU is 41-2 under Shaka Smart when holding opponents to 65 points or less. The Rams are allowing 56.3ppg in the last 6 gms.

•  Freshman Treveon Graham scored a career-high 18 points vs. UAB and is averaging 12.3 ppg over his past three games.

•  VCU recorded its 9th straight sellout crowd (7,617) against UAB.

•   VCU leads the CAA with 10.2 steals per game and is averaging 13.5 spg over the last four contests.

So far, for me, it’s been a good enough year — in that nothing really bad has happened (knock on wood). Oh yes, I’ve certainly had worse years than 2011. As a Richmonder, I also have to say, it’s been a much better year than most.

Two happenings, in particular, have made 2011 a year to remember fondly for folks who live adjacent to the fall line of the James River: The Picasso show at VMFA and the Final Four run for VCU‘s Rams.

I wrote “Picasso’s Richmond Period” about the show, “Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris,” which was displayed (Feb. 19 to May 15) at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It was published by Richmond.com (February 18th). Here’s part of that piece:

…An art show to rival this one has probably never been presented in Richmond. So, don’t be surprised by the number of way-out-of-town accents you’re going to hear in Carytown shops and the Fan District’s restaurants over the next 12 weeks.

The impact on this city’s economy is expected to be significant. In the long run, though, perhaps local school children will be the greatest beneficiaries of this chance to see a collection of objects that did much to shape the world’s art history over eight decades — art that most people only ever see in photographs.

It will be interesting to see how many kids’ art shows will have Picasso-influenced pieces in them over the next year. So, don’t scold the sixth-graders for putting both eyeballs on the same side of a face … they will just be having a little fun.

Nyerges said, “An exhibition this monumental is extremely rare, especially one that spans the entire career of a figure who many consider the most influential, innovative and creative artist of the 20th century.”

Since this collection of Picasso (1881-1973) paintings, drawings, sculpture, etc., is showing in just seven cities, worldwide, how did Richmond end up being the only one on the East Coast to have it?

In 1985 the Musée National Picasso opened in a renovated 17th century mansion in Paris. The art in the museum came directly from Picasso’s estate. To settle the inheritance bill with the French government his heirs donated the pieces from Picasso’s collection of his own work. For most of his life he had kept certain favorite pieces.

Now the museum in Paris is being renovated, so to get some of the art out of the way — and to make some money to defray renovation expenses — a traveling show was put together by Anne Baldassari, the Paris museum’s director. She also oversaw the installation of the show at the VMFA. At the media preview (on Thursday morning) Baldassari said, with a decidedly French accent, that she’s a little bit jealous of the display capabilities of the VMFA.

Aside from whatever pull Nyerges has to bring in such an attraction, it seems the Richmond museum’s fancy new look itself — a $150 million upgrade — played a significant role in the decision made in France to include it on the tour…

My article, “Living a Final Four Dream,” about VCU’s five-game streak on the national stage, was published by Richmond.com (April 4th). Here are two excerpts:

…Meanwhile, regarding VCU’s appearance in the Final Four, nobody I know can remember when a college or professional team from Richmond ever played in such an important game in any sport. Perhaps it’s fair to say VCU just overshadowed anything, popular culture-wise, Richmond has ever witnessed.

Coming into the game, the resume of the Colonial Athletic Association’s last team standing read this way: VCU 59, Southern Cal 46; VCU 74, Georgetown 56; VCU 94, Purdue 76; VCU 72, Florida St. 71; VCU 71, Kansas 61.

In those five wins VCU’s players had performed as though they were living in the moment more completely than their expectations-burdened opponents. Butler was different. Unlike those five power conference losers, the Bulldogs didn’t trip over their own hubris. Instead, they executed their plan to deny VCU its three-point shots with utter determination.

Which meant it came down to a gritty, no-blood-no-foul contest with an outcome that was determined by hard-earned shots that fell, and those that rimmed out. In short, Butler was so good that VCU needed to be luckier…

…When I was running errands on Saturday afternoon, before the game, I was in the Grace and Harrison Streets area. It was teeming with people. Most of them, old or young, were wearing VCU gear. Visually, it was amazing. There were temporary stands selling bootleg VCU T-shirts in the parking lots. I could hear a crowd cheering and chanting on Broad Street, a block away. Even the mumblers and panhandlers in front of the convenience store were outfitted in goldenrod and black T-shirts.

After the game, some with a snootful of the spirit of anarchy took advantage of the license in the air. The cops and some elements of the crowd battled, apparently without any serious injuries. Whether any of the firebugs or brick-throwers were students or basketball fans isn’t known at this desk.

However annoying any of that public behavior may seem to a reader, Smart and his team didn’t burn any couches. The only bricks they threw were at the rim in Houston…

As much as I was delighted that during 2011 the Civil War sesquicentennial shows at various local museums educated thousands of locals and tourists about that period of Richmond‘s history, I’m also happy they were somewhat overshadowed.

VMFA’s spectacular Picasso show and the Rams’ March Madness miracle put Richmond on some new maps. As a lifelong Richmonder, it was nice to see my home town being recognized for events that took place since the 1860s, or the 1960s.

– 30 –

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Jamelle Hagins, Delaware, Jr., F, 6-9, 240

Hagins averaged 15.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in Delaware’s two games last week. The junior forward posted career-highs of 21 points and 19 rebounds while blocking five shots in UD’s 58-42 win at rival Delaware State and had 11 points and 10 boards in a loss at Penn. Hagins, who shot 68.4% (13-19) from the floor for the week, has recorded double-doubles in five consecutive games.

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Keith Rendleman, UNCW, Jr., F, 6-7, 215

Rendleman poured in a career-high 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in UNCW’s 77-68 victory at Liberty last Tuesday. The junior forward, who was 12-of-19 from the floor, also had three steals and two blocks. It was Rendleman’s second straight double-double and third of the season.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:

Quincy Ford, Northeastern, Fr., F, 6-8, 212

Making the first start of his career, Ford scored a career-high 18 points and snared a team-best seven rebounds in Northeastern’s 79-68 loss at Bradley last Tuesday. The freshman forward, who was 8-of-15 from the floor, also made four steals, blocked two shots and dished out a pair of assists.

CONFERENCE NOTES:

Georgia State Increases Winning Streak To Seven: Georgia State pushed its winning streak to seven after rolling past Rhode Island 96-64 last Saturday. The streak is GSU’s longest since 2003-04 and is one off the school record of eight set during the 2000-01 campaign. The Panthers are giving up just 49.4 ppg while scoring 73.7 ppg during the seven-game run. The 32-point margin of victory over URI was the largest for GSU since 2005. The Panthers, whose 7-3 start is their best since 2000-01, travel to Utah Valley State on Saturday.

VCU Defeats Rival Richmond: In a battle of teams that made deep runs into the NCAA Tournament a year ago, VCU defeated Richmond, 73-51, last Friday before a sellout crowd of 7,686 and a national TV audience on ESPN2. It was the Rams’ seventh win in the past eight meetings against their city rival. Bradford Burgess and Rob Brandenberg each scored 14 points for VCU, which closed the game on a 26-6 run over the final seven minutes. The Rams have won three in a row and five of their last six overall.

Light Schedule During Exams: With final exams taking place on CAA campuses, there are only 10 games on the league schedule this week after a 15-game slate last week.

Road Teams Go 3-2 In Conference Openers: Road teams went 3-2 as 10 CAA teams played their conference openers on Dec. 3. George Mason won 65-53 at Towson, James Madison picked up a 62-60 victory at Hofstra and Old Dominion earned a 69-59 win at Northeastern. Getting victories at home were Delaware, which beat rival Drexel 71-60, and Georgia State, which cruised by William & Mary, 66-34. All 12 CAA teams play one league game in the month of December and then return to non-conference action until Jan. 2. UNCW and VCU will play their CAA opener this Saturday (Dec. 17).

18-Game Home Win Streak For Mason: George Mason defeated Bucknell 61-57 on Nov. 30 to extend its home court winning streak to 18 dating back to the start of last year. Mason owns the 10th-longest active home court streak in the nation. The Patriots, who have won five of their last six games overall, are back at home on Dec. 21 against Duquesne. A victory would give Mason its longest home court winning streak in the history of the Patriot Center.

UNCW’s Smith Tied For 3rd Among Freshmen Scorers: UNCW guard Adam Smith is tied for third in scoring among all freshmen in Division I with 17.9 ppg. Smith trails only Kyle Vinales of Central Connecticut (19.9 ppg) and Juan’ya Green of Niagara (19.7 ppg). He is tied with Justin Edwards of Maine (17.9 ppg). Smith has scored double figures in all seven UNCW games, including a 27-point effort at Toledo and 23 points at Maryland.

Changing Of The Guard: It’s been a year of change around the CAA as many returning players have stepped into new roles and several newcomers are making an impact. As of Dec. 12, 13 of the current top 20 scorers in the CAA weren’t even among the top 30 in the league in scoring a year ago. The only seven who were on last year’s top 30 list are Hofstra’s Mike Moore, Mason’s Ryan Pearson, VCU’s Bradford Burgess, ODU’s Kent Bazemore, UNCW’s Keith Rendleman and Northeastern’s Jonathan Lee and Joel Smith.

Freshmen Making An Impact: Freshmen are seeing significant playing time around the CAA this season. All 12 CAA teams have at least one freshman on their team who is averaging better than 16 minutes per game and JMU is the only team that hasn’t had a freshman start at least one game. Four freshmen are among the CAA’s top 30 in scoring – UNCW’s Adam Smith, Drexel’s Damion Lee, W&M’s Marcus Thornton and Delaware’s Kyle Anderson. Four others – Towson’s Kris Walden, Mason’s Corey Edwards, Delaware’s Khalid Lewis and UNCW’s Freddie Jackson – are among the top 15 in assists, VCU’s Briante Weber and ODU’s Dimitri Batten are among the top 15 in steals and NU’s Reggie Spencer is 17th in rebounding.

UD’s Hagins Ranks 5th Nationally In Rebounding: Delaware junior Jamelle Hagins ranks fifth in the nation in rebounding at 11.5 rpg through games of Dec. 11. UNCW’s Keith Rendleman is 23rd in rebounding with 10.0 rpg and ODU’s Chris Cooper is 26th with 9.8 rpg. In other statistical categories, UD’s Devon Saddler is 13th in scoring (21.3 ppg), JMU’s A.J. Davis is 7th in 3-point FG percentage (51.4%), GSU’s Eric Buckner is 9th in blocks (3.4 bpg), ODU’s Kent Bazemore is 6th in steals (2.9 spg) and NU’s Joel Smith is 3rd in FT percentage (95.5%). In team categories, Drexel is 9th in the nation in 3-point FG defense (24.7%). James Madison is 16th in 3-point FG percentage (41.4%) and 10th in threes per game (9.3). Old Dominion is 12th in steals per game (9.8 spg). VCU is 11th in turnover margin (+5.4 tpg). A complete listing of statistical leaders can be found on Page 4 of this release.

Doubling Up: Seven CAA players have already recorded two or more double-doubles this season. ODU senior Chris Cooper leads the league and ranks fifth in Division I with six double-doubles, while Delaware’s Jamelle Hagins has recorded five consecutive double-doubles, which ranks 11th nationally. Towson’s Robert Nwankwo has four double-doubles and George Mason’s Ryan Pearson and UNCW’s Keith Rendleman each have three. Eleven of the 12 CAA teams have a player with at least one double-double.

Starting Streaks: VCU senior Bradford Burgess has made 119 consecutive starts, which is the longest active streak in Division I basketball and is just two away from the Rams’ all-time record. James Madison senior Julius Wells has started 107 straight games, which ranks second on the Dukes’ career list. Wells also moved up to 9th on JMU’s all-time scoring list last week with 1,378 points.

Smith’s FT Streak Ends: Northeastern junior guard Joel Smith was a perfect 20-for-20 at the free throw line this season before missing one against ODU on Dec. 3. Smith is shooting 95.5% (21-of-22) for the season.

Two CAA Teams In Mid-Major Top 25 Poll: Two CAA teams were ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll released on Dec. 5 by CollegeInsider.com. George Mason was the top-ranked CAA squad at #12, while VCU was ranked #20. Old Dominion and Drexel were among others receiving votes. The Missouri Valley led all conferences with four teams in the poll, followed by the Horizon and West Coast with three. The CAA was among four other conferences with two teams ranked. A new poll will be released on Monday night.

With its victory over the Richmond Spiders the VCU Rams now lead the all-time series between the two schools, 41-25. The following report on the Spiders vs. Rams game is from Scott Day at VCU:

Richmond was dubbed “Hoopstown USA” last spring after both VCU and the University of Richmond earned spots in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

On Friday night at a jammed packed Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center, the Rams took over the sole spot as mayors of “Hoopstown USA” with a dominating 73-51 win over the Spiders in the fifth annual Black & Blue Classic, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance.

“I’m really proud of the way our guys defended tonight,” VCU head coach Shaka Smart said. “Coming into tonight, we talked about the way we had to have a relentless effort on both ends of the floor for 40 minutes. I thought we did a really nice job defensively tonight holding a really good team to just 51 points.”

Ram Nation truly showed up with a national television audience watching as the Black & Gold celebrated a school-record seventh straight sellout at the Siegel Center.

“I thought the crowd was once again phenomenal tonight,” Smart said. “It was the loudest I’ve heard the Siegel Center in the two-plus years I’ve been here. I can’t say enough about our fans, the students, the people that support us. It really gives us such a lift in games like tonight.”

Senior Bradford Burgess (pictured above) scored in double-figures for the eighth straight games, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Sophomore Rob Brandenberg also scored14 points in the win, marking the fifth straight double-figure game for the Gahanna, Ohio native. Junior Troy Daniels was the third Ram in double-digits with 13 points off the bench.

However, it was once again the defensive that told the story as the Rams held Richmond to their lowest point total of the season and forced them into 17 turnovers on the evening. It was the fifth time this year that VCU has held their opponents to 60 points or less.

“It all comes down to our defensive effort and focus,” Burgess said. “If we can continue to lock in defensively and get stops, we’ll have a chance in every game we play.”

The game was full of runs early with VCU ripping off a 12-2 spurt capped by a three-pointer from Burgess to grab a 16-8 advantage with 11:34 to play. Richmond’s Cedrick Lindsay responded by scoring eight of the games next 10 points to give the Spiders a 18-16 cushion.

Back came the Black & Gold with a 14-0 run ignited by six points from freshman Treveon Graham, which helped VCU head into halftime with a 35-27 lead.

Shots would fall early in the second half for the Spiders as Kendall Anthony connected on three treys as VCU’s lead was cut to just two at 47-45 with 11:03 remaining.

Enter the VCU defense, which held Richmond without a field goal over the final 8:21 of the contest. Offensively, Brandenberg scored all 14 of his points in the second half and an alley-oop from Daniels to sophomore Juvonte Reddic nearly brought the house down and capped off a tremendous last 10 minutes for the Black & Gold.

Lindsay finished with a game-high 22 points, while Anthony was held to season-low 13 points for the Spiders.

The 22 point margin of the victory is the third highest margin of victory in the 66 game series between Richmond and VCU. The highest margin of victory was 34 on March 2, 1996 (VCU 89-55); the other game came in the same season, with VCU posting a 79-51 victory over the Spiders on Jan. 20, 1996.

VCU (6-3) will now take the week to focus on final exams before opening up conference play with a visit from the Seahawks of UNC Wilmington (2-5). Game time next Saturday (Dec. 17) is set for 7 p.m.

Click here to see the box score.

Click here to read Paul Woody’s column on the clash of crosstown rivals in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The winners were honored Monday night in Los Angeles. Aga Sablinska, a spokeswoman for USA, said there were 311 nominees this year, and that Clark was chosen for her “extraordinary talent and commitment to the field of crafts and traditional arts.”

Click here to read the story at the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

From Scott Day at VCU:

One day after his head coach labeled him as “the difference in the game” in VCU’s 75-60 victory over George Washington, senior Bradford Burgess (pictured above) was lauded once again, this time by the Colonial Athletic Association.

Burgess, who has now started 118 straight games, was named CAA Co-Player of the Week after averaging 19.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in a 2-0 week for the Black & Gold. He shares the honor with Georgia State’s Eric Buckner, who led the Panthers to a 3-0 week.

After Sunday’s win, Head Coach Shaka Smart said, “He played like a senior, he played like a leader and he made seemingly every big shot for us. That really allowed us to keep the lead and extend the lead at the end.”

To start the week, Burgess poured in 15 points in a home win over Big East foe South Florida. He went 4-of-9 from the field, 2-of-4 from long range and pulled down four rebounds for the Black & Gold.

On Sunday, he was nearly unstoppable with a season-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, while corralling five rebounds and blocking two shots.

Burgess has now scored in double-figures in each of the past seven games and recently moved into the top-20 on VCU’s all-time scoring chart with 1,313 points.

On the year, he leads the team with 14.1 ppg on 36.7% shooting and 38.3% from long-range. He is also grabbing 4.2 boards per night and dishing out 1.3 assists per outing.

Burgess and his teammates have all week to prepare for the Farm Bureau Insurance Black & Blue Classic against crosstown rival, Richmond. Game time at the Verizon Wireless Arena is set for 8 p.m.

*   *

From Rob Washburn with the Colonial Athletic Association:

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Eric Buckner, Georgia State, Sr., F, 6-8, 203

Buckner averaged 13.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while also blocking 11 shots in Georgia State’s 3-0 week. The senior forward scored a team-high 21 points in an 85-54 road win at S.C. State, blocked a career-high 8 shots in a 73-47 triumph over FIU and had 11 points and six boards in a 66-34 CAA win over W&M. Shot 66.7% from the floor for the week and anchored a dominant GSU defensive effort that held foes to 45.0 ppg.

CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Bradford Burgess, VCU, Sr., G/F, 6-6, 225

Burgess averaged 19.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in VCU’s 2-0 week. The senior guard/forward scored 15 points as the Rams rolled past Big East member South Florida 69-46 and then poured in a season-high 24 points in a 75-60 win over George Washington. Burgess shot 50% from the floor for the week and connected on 6-of-12 from 3-point range.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:

Adam Smith, UNCW, Fr., G, 5-11, 160

Smith averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in UNCW’s 1-1 week. The freshman guard scored a career-high 27 points in a 75-73 loss at Toledo and had a team-best 19 points and a career-high six boards in a 63-54 victory at Illinois State. Smith shot 53.1% from the floor over the two games.

CONFERENCE NOTES:

Road Teams Go 3-2 In Saturday’s Conference Openers: Road teams went 3-2 on Saturday as 10 CAA teams played their conference openers. George Mason won 65-53 at Towson, James Madison picked up a 62-60 victory at Hofstra and Old Dominion earned a 69-59 win at Northeastern. Getting victories at home were Delaware, which beat rival Drexel 71-60, and Georgia State, which cruised by William & Mary, 66-34. All 12 CAA teams play one league game in the month of December and then return to non-conference action until Jan. 2. UNCW and VCU will play their CAA opener on Dec. 17.

Georgia State Pushes Winning Streak To Six: Georgia State increased its winning streak to six with convincing victories over South Carolina State (85-54), FIU (73-47) and William & Mary (66-34) last week. The Panthers, who started 0-3, are giving up just 47.0 ppg and limiting opponents to 30.7% FG shooting during the six-game run.  The 34 points by W&M were the second-fewest allowed in school history. The winning streak is the longest for GSU since the 2003-04 season and its 6-3 start is tied for the 5th-best mark in school history.

18-Game Home Win Streak For Mason: George Mason defeated Bucknell 61-57 last Wednesday to extend its home court winning streak to 18 dating back to the start of last year. Mason owns the 9th-longest active home court streak in the nation. The Patriots have won four in a row overall after topping Towson last Saturday.

VCU Rolls Past USF: VCU used a dominant second-half performance to roll past South Florida, 69-46, last Wednesday. The Rams are now 9-4 against BCS foes over the last 2+ seasons under coach Shaka Smart. The win also evened the CAA’s record at 3-3 versus the Big East this season. The Rams also beat George Washington on Sunday and have captured four of their past five games.

Changing Of The Guard: It’s been a year of change around the CAA as many returning players have stepped into new roles and several newcomers are making an impact. As of Dec. 5, 13 of the current top 20 scorers in the CAA weren’t even among the top 30 in the league in scoring a year ago. The only seven who were on last year’s top 30 list are Hofstra’s Mike Moore, Mason’s Ryan Pearson, VCU’s Bradford Burgess, ODU’s Kent Bazemore, UNCW’s Keith Rendleman and Northeastern’s Jonathan Lee and Joel Smith.

Freshmen Making An Impact: Freshmen are seeing significant playing time around the CAA this season. All 12 CAA teams have at least one freshman on their team who is averaging better than 16 minutes per game and JMU and Northeastern are the only teams who haven’t had a freshman start at least one game. Four freshmen are among the CAA’s top 30 in scoring – UNCW’s Adam Smith, Drexel’s Damion Lee, W&M’s Marcus Thornton and Delaware’s Kyle Anderson. Three others – Towson’s Kris Walden, Mason’s Corey Edwards and Delaware’s Khalid Lewis – are among the top 15 in assists, while VCU’s Briante Weber and ODU’s Dimitri Batten are among the top 11 in steals.

UD’s Saddler Ranks 2nd Nationally In Scoring: Delaware sophomore Devon Saddler ranks second in the nation in scoring at 24.7 ppg through games of Dec. 4. JMU’s A.J. Davis is 16th with 21.0 ppg and Hofstra’s Mike Moore is 22nd with 20.4 ppg. In other statistical categories, Davis is 9th in 3-point FG percentage (54.8%), GSU’s Eric Buckner is 10th in blocks (3.6 bpg), ODU’s Kent Bazemore is 5th in steals (3.0 spg) and NU’s Joel Smith is 6th in FT percentage (95.5%). In team categories, Drexel is 11th in the nation in 3-point FG defense (24.1%). James Madison is 8th in 3-point FG percentage (44%) and 7th in threes per game (9.8). Old Dominion is 11th in steals per game (10.0 spg). A complete listing of statistical leaders can be found on Page 4 of this release.

Doubling Up: Seven CAA players have already recorded two or more double-doubles this season. ODU senior Chris Cooper leads the league with five double-doubles, while Delaware’s Jamelle Hagins, Towson’s Robert Nwankwo and George Mason’s Ryan Pearson each have three. Eleven of the 12 teams have a player with at least one double-double.

Starting Streaks: VCU senior Bradford Burgess has made 118 consecutive starts, which is the longest active streak in Division I basketball and is just three away from the Rams’ all-time record. James Madison senior Julius Wells has started 106 straight games, which ranks second on the Dukes’ career list. Wells also moved up to 9th on JMU’s all-time scoring list last week with 1,378 points.

Smith’s FT Streak Ends: Northeastern junior guard Joel Smith was a perfect 20-for-20 at the free throw line this season before missing one against ODU last Saturday. Smith had made 22 in a row dating back to last year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Prior to Sunday’s game at the Verizon Center, home of the Washington Wizards, senior Bradford Burgess had showed he was pretty comfortable playing in NBA arenas. The last time he took the floor at an NBA arena, he poured in 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting to lead VCU past Purdue in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

With that in mind, it came as no shock when Burgess led the Rams to yet another victory inside a NBA arena with a 75-60 takedown of George Washington. The Midlothian, Va. native poured in a season-high 24 points to lead VCU to its fourth win in its past five games.

“I thought George Washington did a great job of battling back in the second half, they really turned the tide in terms of aggressiveness for the better part of the early second half,” VCU head coach Shaka Smart said. “The difference today was Bradford Burgess. He played like a senior, he played like a leader and he made seemingly every big shot for us. That really allowed us to keep the lead and extend it at the end.”

Burgess finished with a game-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-8 from long range. He also added five rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist. It’s the seventh straight game that Burgess has scored in double-digits, averaging 15.9 points per game over that span.

“I just got some really good open shots today and was able to knock them down,” Burgess said. “We knew if we could get in the lane it would create some shots on the outside. That’s exactly what happened and my teammates were able to find me when I was open.”

Sophomore Rob Brandenberg registered double-figures for the fifth straight game with 12 point and also grabbed five rebounds. Junior Darius Theus and freshman Briante Weber rounded out the four Rams in double-digits with 10 points apiece.

“We have an unselfish team,” Smart said. “When you have a young team with a lot of new guys and new roles, you’re still kind of figuring it out in terms of who’s doing what. But we don’t have anyone who takes shots selfishly. They all look for each other.”

Like many of VCU’s games this year, the afternoon started as a back-and-forth battle with the Rams finding themselves squared up at 16 with 12:36 showing on the first half clock.

Enter Troy Daniels: The junior from Roanoke, Va. connected on three treys to spark a 13-2 run to give the Black & Gold a comfortable 29-18 cushion with 5:21 to play in the first stanza.

Two treys from Brandenberg in the final two minutes would allow VCU to extend their lead to 43-26 at halftime.

George Washington would not go away easily and continued to chip away at the Rams’ lead in the second half. A tip-in from Lasan Kromah at the 9:21 mark brought the Colonials within seven at 56-49.

Burgess would then score five straight points for VCU and push the lead back to 10. However, GW would respond and a lay-up from Kromah cut the lead to six, 62-56, with 5:27 to  play.

Theus would come up with two huge plays for the Rams, first with a three-pointer from the corner and then an old-fashioned three-point play after a nice drive to the hoop. That would push VCU’s back to 10 with 3:56 remaining and ultimately sealed the win for the Black & Gold.

Once again, it came back to the defensive end for the Rams as they held GW to just eight points on four field goals over the final 8:19 of the contest. The Colonials were forced into 17 turnovers, marking the sixth time this year VCU forced 15 or more turnovers.

Click here to see the box score.

The Rams (5-3) will return to the Siegel Center to take on the reigning A-10 champions, the University of Richmond Spiders (6-2), on Friday at 8 p.m. The tilt between these crosstown rivals will be carried live by ESPN2.

– The information above was provided by Scott Day at VCU.