RECAP MBB07: VCU 82, HOFSTRA 65
VCU 82, Hofstra 65
Boxscore
Senior Jamal Shuler (Jacksonville, N.C./Jacksonville) led four Virginia
Commonwealth University
players in double figures with 23 points to spearhead the Rams' 82-65 victory
over Hofstra Wednesday at the Mack Sports Complex.
VCU has won six straight and 11 of 12 to improve to 14-4
overall and 7-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Hofstra slips to 4-13 and
2-6 in the league.
For Shuler, it was his third consecutive 20-plus point
performance. He was 9-of-18 from the floor, including 3-of-8 from 3-point
range.
The
Rams also received a breakout performance from freshman Lance Kearse
(Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers), who scored 17 points and grabbed
five rebounds. Kearse, who came in to the game averaging 3.2 points and
1.4
rebounds, was 7-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-3 from beyond the
3-point
arc.
Kearse, who had scored five points in his previous eight
games, pumped in 10 in the first half alone to help lift the Rams to a 38-32
lead at intermission.
“Lance Kearse really came in and gave us a lift tonight,”
VCU Head Coach Anthony Grant said.
“Overall, we got some nice production off our bench, which allowed us to get a
lead (in the first half).”
Also
for VCU, junior guard Eric Maynor (Raeford, N.C./Westover) added 17
points, while senior Michael Anderson (Virginia Beach, Va./Landsdown)
provided 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Charles Jenkins paced the Pride with 18 points. Hofstra
senior Antoine Agudio, the CAA’s leading scorer (23.2 ppg) was held to 10
points on 3-of-8 shooting. Guarded primarily by Shuler, Agudio finished well
below his average for the second time in two meetings with the Rams. Agudio
scored 13 points in VCU’s 59-49 win Jan. 12.
“Jamal’s got potential to be an outstanding defender,” Grant
said. “The thing that I’m proud of is that he wants that responsibility. He
wants to guard the other team’s best player."
The Black and Gold forced 22 Pride turnovers and owned a
37-36 advantage on the boards.