Score: VCU 61, Davidson 59
Location: Davidson, N.C. (Belk Arena)
Records: VCU 17-6 (8-2 A-10), Davidson 10-12 (3-7)
The short story: Junior point guard
Ace Baldwin Jr. scored a game-high 14 points and hit a go-ahead jumper with 15.8 seconds left to lift VCU to a road victory at Davidson Tuesday.
OPENING TIP
- Baldwin connected on 6-of-12 attempts from the field and added seven assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals. He did not commit a turnover
- Sophomore forward Jalen DeLoach added 12 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing his fourth double-double of the season for the Black and Gold
- Graduate forward Brandon Johns Jr. also provided 12 points and seven rebounds for VCU
- Desmond Watson led Davidson with 12 points
THE DIFFERENCE
- Out of a timeout, Baldwin drove left to right and canned a pull-up jumper from 15 feet, right of the free throw line, to give the Rams a 60-58 lead. Davidson missed the second of two free throws on its ensuing possession, and VCU redshirt sophomore Jamir Watkins grabbed the rebound and drew a foul with 3.5 seconds left. He connected on the front end of the one-and-one, and the Wildcats were only able to race up the floor for a halfcourt heave that fell well short as the final horn sounded
- VCU forced 13 turnovers in the game and committed a season-low six. The Rams outscored the Wildcats 20-5 off turnovers
- The Rams limited Davidson to 36 percent shooting (12-of-33) in the second half
- The Wildcats led by as many as nine points in the first half, but Johns converted a traditional three-point play and Baldwin hit a jumper just before the first-half buzzer as VCU closed the period on a 7-0 run and trimmed the Davidson lead to 34-32 at the break
NOTABLE
- Tuesday win, coupled with Saint Louis' loss at Fordham, moved VCU back into a tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
- VCU has won four straight road games. The Rams improved to 11-8 all-time against Davidson, including 3-5 at Belk Arena
- The Rams did not hit a 3-pointer (0-of-9) in the contest, the first time that's happened in a game since March 3, 2006 against William & Mary
NEXT UP
VCU will head to Saint Louis on Friday, Feb. 3 to take on the Billikens. The winner will take sole possession of first place in the A-10. That match-up will tip-off at 7 p.m. (EST) on ESPN2.
