Box Score
How It Happened
Rhode Island (6-13, 1-5 Atlantic 10) kept battling but came up just short in a 70-64 loss to VCU Wednesday.
VCU (17-5, 5-2) led 43-41 before going on a 19-6 run to open up a 15-point lead with 4:00 remaining in the game. Rhody managed to get within five points three times in the final minutes, but was unable to complete the rally.
VCU was led by guard Treveon Graham, who had a game-high 19 points and added eight rebounds. Big man Juvonte Reddic's added 18 points and 12 boards. Reddic helped VCU outscore Rhode Island 42-26 in the paint.
Inside the Box Score
* Xavier Munford again led Rhode Island in scoring with 17 points, marking the 16th time he has reached double digits this season.
* Sophomore T.J. Buchanan is becoming a more consistent source of offense for the Rams. He finished with 11 points, his second straight game in double figures. Buchanan has scored at least five points in five straight games. In his first 13 games, he reached five points just once.
* Freshman Jordan Hare finished with 10 points, five rebounds, three blocks and one assist. It was his third time in double digits this season. Hare made all five of his shots from the floor.
* Senior Alwayne Bigby had a strong night off the bench. In seven minutes, he had five points, one steal and one rebound.
* After starting the night 2-for-12 from beyond the arc, the Rams hit on four of their final six attempts from deep. Overall, Rhode Island shot 44.4 percent from the floor.
* VCU's vaunted pressure defense caused Rhode Island to commit seven turnovers in the opening 9:25, the Rams did not have another turnover over the final 10:35 of the half. Rhode Island had 11 second-half turnovers. Rhody did force 19 turnovers on defense.
What's Next:
The Rams travel to Butler Saturday, Feb. 2. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. and the game can be seen live nationally on CBS Sports Network.
Steve McDonald and Don Kaull return to bring you the call on the Beltone Hearing Aid Centers Rams Radio Network (B101 101.5 FM). This - and all Rhody games on radio - can be heard on the Internet or your smartphone device through iheart.com or the iHeartRadio app.
