January 12, 2010

SANDERS, RODRIGUEZ LEAD RAMS TO 81-68 ROAD WIN AT HOFSTRA
Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – There were eight NBA scouts lining the press row seats at the Mack Sports Complex on the campus of Hofstra University on Tuesday evening.

Junior Larry Sanders (Fort Pierce, Fla.) of the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball team made sure their trip wasn’t a waste. A career-high 31 points from the 6-11 forward keyed the Black & Gold to a critical 81-68 Colonial Athletic Association road win over the Pride.

Sanders finished 11-of-13 from the field and 9-of-12 from the charity stripe, while grabbing five rebounds and swatting three shots. Classmate Joey Rodriguez (Oviedo, Fla.) (right) was the Robin to Sanders’ Batman, scoring 21 points and dishing out six assists.

“I’m really proud of the resolve and toughness that our guys showed tonight,” Head Coach Shaka Smart said. “We’ve talked for two days about bringing more toughness and grittiness into this game and I think we did a fantastic job of that tonight.”

It wasn’t easy with Preseason All-CAA pick Charles Jenkins on the other side, scoring 23 points. The Rams made it tough as he shot just 7-of-18 from the field and turned the ball over seven times.

“Jenkins is a tremendous guard and he can play anywhere in the country,” Smart said. “I thought we really did a good job staying out of foul trouble and making almost every shot he took tonight a tough one.”

Sanders made sure to make up for lost time after his one-game suspension, connecting on the first eight points of the game for the Black & Gold. Senior Kirill Pishchalnikov (Maykop, Russia) knocked down a jump hook and Rodriguez connected on back-to-back treys to give the Rams a 16-13 advantage.

The Rams clamped down on defense in the final four minutes of the first half, holding the Pride without a point for the last 3:47, while VCU ripped off nine points, including a nice drive-and-dish from Rodriguez to sophomore Terrance Saintil (North Miami, Fla.) with time running out to claim a 40-25 halftime lead.

Coming out of the break, Cornelius Vines and Greg Washington used an inside-outside scoring threat to get within seven with under 15 minutes to play in the game, but Sanders and Rodriguez connected on back-to-back possessions to push the lead back to 13.

The Pride would hang tough and make a late run to get within eight, but the Rams went 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in the final two minutes to hold on for the 13-point win.

In addition to Rodriguez and Sanders, junior Ed Nixon (St. Petersburg, Fla.) tallied 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Pishchalnikov was tough down low once again with eight points and five rebounds off the bench for the Rams.

Vines finished with 17 points and three assists, while Miklos Szabo was the third Pride player in double-figures with 12 points.
The Rams will look to keep the momentum going into Saturday when they travel to Atlanta, Ga., for a 6 p.m. showdown with the Panthers of Georgia State.