Score: VCU 80, North Florida 68
Location: Richmond, Va. (Stuart C. Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 8-5, North Florida 10-6
Attendance: 7,637 (74^th consecutive sellout) 

The Short Story: VCU held North Florida, the NCAA leader in 3-pointers per game, to a season-low-tying treys and produced two 20-plus point scorers in an 80-68 win. Seniors Melvin Johnson and Korey Billbury led the way with 23 and 22 points for the Black and Gold, while redshirt junior Mo Alie-Cox added a career-high 19 for the Rams.

THE DIFFERENCE

• The Rams led for more than 31 minutes Wednesday, but it was a 13-2 burst – including eight straight points from Johnson – that gave VCU a 59-41 advantage with 12:01 left and threw the Ospreys against the ropes. North Florida closed within eight points, at 74-66, with 2:51 left, but could get no closer. An Alie-Cox layup on a feed from Johnson, followed by a Billbury steal and coast-to-coast layup, ended the UNF threat.
• VCU limited North Florida, which entered the game averaging an NCAA-best 12.9 points 3-pointers per game - on 44 percent shooting – to just 5-of-18 from beyond the arc. The Ospreys had hit at least 10 treys in nine straight games prior to Wednesday's loss.
• North Florida raced out to a 9-0 lead behind seven points from Chris Davenport. In the opening 2:55 the forward was 3-of-3 from the floor, with a 3-pointer. But VCU countered with a 9-0 burst, led by four Johnson points, run to level the score.
• A long jumper from junior JeQuan Lewis in the closing seconds of the first gave VCU its largest lead in the half, eight points, as the Rams headed to the break up 39-31.

• Johnson missed his first six shots of the contest before steadying himself to knock down 7-of-12 the rest of the way. He was 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. With 23 points Wednesday, he moved past Ren Watson and into 24^th on VCU's all-time scoring list with 1,269 points.
• VCU shot 57 percent (17-of-30) in the second half and 46 percent (31-of-68) overall. The Rams were 7-of-19 from 3-point range.
• Junior point guard JeQuan Lewis handed out a career-high 10 assists and committed just two turnovers. He's the first Ram to dish out double-digit assists since Darius Theus distributed 10 on Jan. 17, 2013 against Saint Joseph's.
• The Rams turned the ball over just once in the first half and finished with a season-low seven for the game. VCU forced 17 UNF turnovers, the Ospreys' most this season.
• Both Johnson and Billbury eclipsed the 20-point plateau on the night, the last time a pair of Rams accomplished the feat came on Nov. 18, 2014. That night Johnson scored 22 alongside former teammate Treveon Graham's 22 points.
• Lewis' 10 assists marked the first time a Ram has recorded double-digit assists since Darius Theus' 10 assist night against Saint Joseph's on Jan. 17, 2013.

• VCU, concludes its five-game homestand with its Atlantic 10 opener against George Mason on Saturday Jan. 2 at 5 p.m. at the Siegel Center.