Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Nice pair of wins after the rough outing in the Paradise Jam

Yeah, my team didn't perform in the Paradise Jam at all like I wanted them to. It's still the beginning of the year and I'm using a new team, so in a way the early struggles are expected.

Strong defensive showings by VCU you've got going. Nice work.

Defense is definitely this team's strong suit. I've got quickness on the perimeter with a 3-guard lineup and a guy who's 6'10 and another who's 7'2''.

Solid win against Richmond. Not sure how I haven't commented yet but you know I'm following.

The Richmond win is a game that I feel will be a spring board for my team the rest of the year. We were simply awesome against a pretty good squad. We'll see if that's the case :wink:

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

East Carolina @ VCU
1 2 T Final ECU (4-1) 41 28 69 VCU (4-2) 33 40 73	November 29, 2009 Siegel Center Richmond, Virginia

Down by 8 at the half, Coach Martinez ripped into his team for their porous effort on defense in the first half. Although ECU (4-2) continued to make shots, VCU's fight and effort on defense forced the Pirates into 16 total turnovers and helped engineer a comeback as VCU (5-2) downed ECU 73-69.

To coincided with the abundance of turnovers, VCU only committed 4 of their own. They shot a respectable 29/61 from the field, but the turnover difference was the biggest difference in the game as the Pirates shot an extremely efficient 26/49, including 10/20 from beyond the arc.

VCU PG Denver Thomasson had one of his better games of the season thus far, scoring 9 points and racking up 10 assits along with 4 steals. He hit some big free throws at the end to close out the contest.

SG Iker Pleiness led the team in points and rebounds, accouting for 14 and 6 respectively. VCU got a boost off the bench as well, as Junior Heath Houston scored 11 points and tallied 4 rebounds.

ECU SG Corvonn Gaines hit 4 threes and scored 16 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and contributed 4 assists and consistently gave the Ram defense fits all night.

Still, it was VCU's third straight win and they hope to continue their winning ways as they travel to William & Mary in Coach Martinez's first CAA contest.

Box Score:

VCU

FG: 29/61
3PT: 5/10
FT: 10/15
TO: 4

PG Denver Thomasson -- 9 pts, 10 asts, 4 stls
SG Iker Pleiness -- 14 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts
SG Rob Brandenburg -- 12 pts, 3 rebs
C DJ Haley -- 10 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blks
PF Heath Houston -- 11 pts, 4 rebs

ECU

FG: 26/49
3PT: 10/20
FT: 7/8
TO: 16

SG Corvonn Gaines -- 16 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts
Rob Sampson -- 10 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts
Bench scoring -- 29 pts

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

VCU William & Mary 70
1 2 OT T Final VCU (6-2) 25 33 12 70 William & Mary (3-5) 36 22 7 65	December 2, 2009 Kaplan Arena Williamsburg, VA

Another halftime deficit. Another halftime rant. Another comeback.

Coach Logan Martinez and the VCU Rams improved to 6-2 on the year and 1-0 in the CAA as they downed the William & Mary Tribe in overtime Wednesday night.

After another lackluster first half, the Rams played with a sense of urgency, especially on defense, in the second half and overtime Just as was the case in their last contest, the biggest difference in the game was turnovers, as VCU forced the Tribe in 18 of them while only committing 6 of their own.

This helped the Rams offset a rather poor shooting performance, as only one player who took more than 2 attempts shot better than 50%.

Tribe Sophomore Allen Francois carried William & Mary with 20 points, as he was their only scorer in double figures. VCU was led by 3 scorers who hit double-digits and big boosts off the bench as PFs Russell Skivolocke and Heath Houston combined for 14 points and 15 rebounds and made key hustle plays.

VCU will take on the struggling Campbell Camels (1-7) at home in their next contest.

Box Score:

VCU

FG: 30/75
3PT: 4/15
FT: 6/11
TO: 6

SG Rob Brandenburg - 15 pts, 5 stls
C DJ Haley - 10 pts, 9 rebs, 2 asts
PF Javonte Reddic - 13 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts, 2 stls

William & Mary

FG: 24/57
3PT: 4/10
FT: 13/19
TO: 18

SF Allen Francois - 20 pts, 4 rebs

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Campbell @ VCU
1 2 T Final Campbell (1-8) 26 34 60 VCU (7-2) 34 41 75	December 4, 2009 Siegel Center Richmond, Virginia

The VCU Rams won their 5th straight game Friday night as they out-muscled and out-played a struggling Campbell team.

It was a rather ho-hum performance by VCU as they never blew away the Camels, but they never let them get closer than a 10-15 point deficit by the time they took control of the game.

The difference in the game was outstanding rebounding performance by the Rams, in particular C DJ Haley who pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with 20 hard-earned points. VCU nabbed 46 rebounds while the Camels had 32.

VCU's defense continues to shine this season, as they held Campbell to 37% shooting and 25% from beyond the arc while also forcing 12 turnovers. Campbell did little to help themselves as well as they shot a dismal 35% from the foul line on 17 attempts.

VCU will travel to Chestnut Hill in two weeks to face the Boston College Eagles and their former coach, Shaka Smart.

Box Score:

VCU

FG: 31/66
3PT: 5/11
FT: 8/13
REB: 46
TO: 16

SG Rob Brandenburg - 11 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts, 2 stls
C DJ Haley - 20 pts, 13 rebs, 2 asts, 3 stls
PF Javonte Reddic - 12 pts, 7 rebs, 2 asts

Campbell

FG: 25/68
3PT: 4/16
FT: 6/17
REB: 32
TO: 12

PG Andrew Ryan - 12 pts, 3 rebs, 4 asts, 2 stls
SG Tony Dees - 10 pts, 4 stls
SF Anthony Horton - 13 pts, 5 rebs, 2 blks
C Shawan Simon - 2 pts, 12 rebs, 2 blks

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

VCU @ Boston College
1 2 T Final VCU (8-2) 42 35 77 Boston College (7-4) 37 30 67	December 17, 2009 Conte Forum Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Coach Logan Martinez admitted after the game that this wasn't "just another game on the schedule."

VCU players had 13 days to let this looming matchup marinate. Although much of that was preparing for final exams, they knew what was coming: a chance to beat the coach who left them for supposedly greener pastures in the ACC.

Boston College has never been known as a basketball power. They did not make the NCAA tournament the last two seasons. Meanwhile, VCU was a rising powerhouse in the CAA, shocking Duke as an #11 seed a few years back and making the NCAA tournament last year.

Yet Shaka Smart left that all behind. Now, Logan Martinez has taken the reigns of the program and helped guide the Rams to a marquee non-conference victory as they defeated the Eagles 77-67 Thursday night.

The offense carried the Rams on this evening as opposed to their defense, a pleasant change from the results of their last few games. SG Iker Pleiness snapped out of his slump in a big way, scoring 23 points on 9/15 shooting, including 3 huge three-pointers. PG Denver Thomasson also had a nice game after struggling for much of the season thus far, scoring 9 points and dishing out 8 assists with only 1 turnover.

C DJ Haley did a nice job of patrolling the paint, scoring 12 points, racking up 9 boards and blocking 3 shots and his strong play inside was a big reason why potential lottery pick PF LaVelle Anderson had a hard time scoring easy buckets.

VCU has now won 6 straight games after a lackluster start to the season and will travel back home to take on the NC A&T Aggies next week.

Box Score:

VCU

FG: 31/57
3PT: 5/11
FT: 10/18
TO: 9

SG Iker Pleiness - 23 pts, 3 rebs
PF Javonte Reddic - 11 pts, 4 rebs
C DJ Haley - 12 pts, 9 rebs, 3 blks

Boston College

FG: 26/59
3PT: 5/15
FT: 10/14
TO: 6

PG Gabe Moton - 10 pts (4/12 shooting), 3 rebs, 5 asts, 2 stls
SG Stewart Bigelow - 12 pts, 2 rebs, 3 asts
SF Devin Blanks - 15 pts, 4 rebs, 2 asts
PF LaVelle Anderson - 11 pts, 4 rebs

[VandyRedskins21]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

It's always to have a good streak going when heading into conference play. Hope you can finish non-conference strong.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

School started up again so sorry for the lack of updates...will post more in the next few days. Until then, I welcome all the new readers to catch up!

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

VCU Season Roundup (Up to this point)

The VCU Rams hit their stride at the end of non-conference play, and haven't looked back since. They handled business in their matchup with North Carolina A&T before traveling to Raleigh to take on the #3 NC State Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack had only lost 1 game up to that point, and had announced their presence on the national stage. VCU gave NCSU all they could handle and then some in front of a raucous crowd, making timely three-pointers and getting the Wolfpack in foul trouble.

They had their chance to seal the win at the charity stripe, but a few misses down the stretch opened the door for NCSU sophomore Hilton James to hit a three-pointer with .3 seconds left and helped NCSU escape with 66-65 victory.

VCU would rebound with a victory over Towson before falling later in the week to a very talented but underachieving Old Dominion squad by 10 on the road.

From there, the Rams, led by balanced scoring and experience (1 Sophomore and 4 Juniors in the starting lineup) have dominated the CAA, winning 9 games in a row to extend their record to 19-4 overall and 11-1 in the CAA.

Several of their victories have come in blowout fashion, as the Rams had a 3 game stretch, 2 on the road, where they won by 47, 21, and 38 respectively. The last two contests have been closer, however, as both UNC-Wilmington and Hofstra both gave VCU fits until the final buzzer.
__________________________________________________ ___________

VCU Schedule:

vs Harvard 74-40 W
(Paradise Jam) Georgia Tech 66-52 L
(Paradise Jam) UW-Milwaukee 62-48 W
(Paradise Jam) Texas 74-58 L
vs UMBC 75-65 W
@ Richmond 69-59 W
vs ECU 73-69 W
@ William & Mary 70-65 W
vs Campbell 75-60 W
@ Boston College 77-67 W
vs NC A&T 78-66 W
@ NC State 66-65 L
vs Towson 77-57 W
@ Old Dominion 79-69 L
vs Northeastern 63-50 W
@ Drexel 69-63 W
vs Delaware 77-60 W
vs George Mason 62-56 W
@ Georgia State 93-46 W
vs Old Dominion 77-56 W
@ Northeastern 85-47 W
vs UNC Wilmington 75-67 W
vs Hofstra 63-54 W

Overall Record: 19-4 (11-1)
__________________________________________________ ___________

Team Stats:

71.2 PPG
30.8 RPG
FG%: 48.3
APG: 20.1
3PT%: 46.6 ***
SPG: 10.3
FT%: 70.6
BPG: 2.7

*** I only take 11 3s a game, so that explains the high percentage. When I do take them, I'm usually always open.

Records & Polls:

Current RPI: 14

vs RPI 1-50: 0-2
vs RPI 51-100: 4-1
vs RPI 101-200: 10-1
vs RPI 201+: 5-0
__________________________________________________ _____________

Individual Stats (Starting five):

SG Iker Pleiness: 12.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 42.6% FG, 47.8% 3P%
C DJ Haley: 11.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 60.2% FG
SG Rob Brandenburg: 11 PPG, 2.5 SPG, 1.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 48.6% FG, 50% 3P%
PF Javonte Reddic: 10.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 55.6% FG
PG Denver Thomasson: 7.5 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 37.3% FG, 50% 3P%
__________________________________________________ _____________

Colonial Athletic Association Conference Standings - Updated: Feb 4, 2010
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	GB
VCU	19-4		11-1
James Madison	11-11		9-3
William & Mary	11-11		7-5
Hofstra	16-7		7-5
Drexel	12-10		6-6
Towson	14-7		6-6
George Mason	9-13		6-6
Delaware	9-13		6-6
Georgia State	12-12		4-8
Old Dominion	9-15		4-8
Northeastern	11-12		4-8
UNC Wilmington	3-20		2-10

__________________________________________________ _____________

NCAA Hoops Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Feb 4, 2010
RK	TEAM (VOTES)	RECORD
1	NC State	18-2
2	Florida	17-3
3	Kansas	18-3
4	Minnesota	18-5
5	Wake Forest	17-4
6	Memphis	18-4
7	Georgia Tech	14-6
8	Oregon	17-4
9	San Diego State	16-3
10	Michigan State	18-6
11	Georgetown	18-5
12	Fairfield	23-1
13	Illinois	16-5
14	Alabama	14-5
15	Clemson	15-5
16	Washington	16-6
17	Maryland	14-5
18	Dayton	18-2
19	Gonzaga	19-3
20	Evansville	19-3
21	New Mexico	15-5
22	Duke	14-6
23	Oregon State	18-4
24	Arizona State	14-6
25	UCLA	13-8

[mpejkrm]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Go wolfpack! Nice stretch.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Go wolfpack! Nice stretch.

Thanks! My defense has really shined for me for the most part this season. I have 3 quick guards on the outside and 2 towers in the paint...I really love the way my team is playin right now, especially on the defensive end, and I think that's what's carried me against some of the weaker competition in the CAA.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Coach Martinez Radio Show

"Good evening everyone, I'm Chris Young, host of 910 Sports Radio in Richmond." Starting today, VCU Rams coach Logan Martinez will join me once a month to discuss the progress of his squad. Today, I'll ask him the questions, but for future shows, you, the audience (hint hint readers), can ask him anything you like. So start building your questions for next month's program, which will be held at the beginning of March right before tourney time, so I'm sure there will be some good one.

Young: "Thanks for joining me coach. First off, since this is the first program of the year and we're doing it in February, your team is well into the season. In fact, you only have 4 conference games left before you begin the CAA Tournament. How do you feel about this season considering you followed in the footsteps of Shaka Smart and left a talented Texas Southern squad behind last year?"

Martinez: "Well, first off, thanks for having me Chris. I'd say we have definitely exceeded expectations thus far this year. We were picked to finish 3rd in the preseason, but right now we stand 11-1 with a sizable lead heading into the final stretch.

I don't think we're the most talented, but I think the experience of our guys has been huge, especially since this is my first year here. You just don't see 4 Juniors in one lineup very often, one being a JUCO who transferred here last year in Iker Pleiness, and our sophomore PG Denver Thomasson started every game last year for a tournament team. We definitely have the experience factor going for us.

You see some of the other teams in the conference, and a lot of them are still trying to figure out who they are. Old Dominion has some stud freshmen and sophomores, but I think getting those pieces to fit together with the upper class-men is what has led to their struggles. Same goes for Hofstra, though they were pretty good during the non-conference slate.

Young: "How's the offense coming along? From the outside you guys have some pretty good percentages, but everyone around here was worried at the beginning of the year when you struggled against quality non-conference teams.

Martinez: "It's definitely progressed from then to now. We just couldn't do anything worth a damn agai-- wait, can I say that on radio? Oh well. Yeah, Georgia Tech and Texas smothered us at the Pearl Jam and I definitely was thinking we might have trouble scoring this year. Our defense is what won us ball games at first, then we seemed to find our identity against Richmond, Boston College, and then the NC State game. Even though we lost, we learned that, hey, we can be pretty good when we feed our bigs the ball in the post and have our guards drive and score consistently. Despite the stats, I don't love our team's three-point shooting and I would never rely on that to win us a game. Brandenburg can really stroke it and Iker can knock them down when he's open, but for the most part I want our guys attacking the paint aggressively and getting to the free throw line where we're pretty good.

Young: "I'd say the progression of Thomasson has been a big key for you guys' success in conference play."

Martinez: "Definitely. The first few weeks the little fella couldn't throw a rock into the ocean standing on the beach, but he's found his shot more as the season's progressed. I think the way he manages the game is fantastic, however, and I love looking down at the stat sheet and seeing him average 6.6 assists per game while only turning the ball over around twice a game. He really is the cog that turns the wheel for our team and once he starts shooting the mid-range jumper the way I know he can, he's gonna be really good.

Young: "Last question for ya this evening coach. How do you feel about your prospects of making the tournament and advancing further than last year's team?"

Martinez: Well, I don't like prognosticating things and figuring out if we're gonna do anything in the tournament when we don't even have a bracket set up to begin with. The tournament is all about matchups.

However, I feel good about my perimeter guys and I love the presence our bigs give us, so I think we're going to be a really tough team come March. Whenever we do this show again, I should be able to give you a better answer on how I think we're gonna do. This team has players with NCAA experience after Shaka coached them there last year, and as long as we handle business the way I know we're capable of then I think we should make it and make noise this year. I didn't make the tournament in my first year, I believe we went 19-13 that year with a loss in the first round of the conference tournament, and I never wanna have that feeling again.

Young: "Thanks for joining us coach, and we look forward to everyone's questions for the next radio show to be held at the beginning of March!"

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

vs
2/6/2010
Newark, Delaware

The VCU Rams came into the game with a steller 19-4 record, winners of 9 in a row, one of those wins being a 77-60 victory in Richmond less than a month ago. The Blue Hens of Delaware gave the Rams a stern contest in the first half before faltering late. This time, the tables turned.

The Rams went into the half up 10 despite shooting a pultry 12-33 from the field. The keys to their lead was their defense and free throw shooting, two things that the Rams have been successful at for most of the season. Delaware shot 11-25, but missed opportunities and turned the ball over at inopportune times, leading the crowd to furiously boo the Hens as they went into the break.

In the second half, the Hens were much more crisp on offense, and the pace of the game was sped up exponentially. Unfortunately for the Blue Hens, VCU prefers to play a faster paced game. They were hitting their jumpers, but VCU would punch back with timely three-pointers in transition or and-one buckets on the offensive end. What was once a slugfest turned into a shootout, and both teams traded scores for much of the second half.

The Hens closed a 10 point deficit with 5 minutes to go to 5 with less than 3 minutes left. Then, PF Javonte Reddic took over. Crisp passes on the perimeter by the VCU guards helped spread out the 2-3 zone defense the Hens deployed for much of the game, opening up lanes for Reddic to work in the post. Reddic scored 11 of the team's last 15 points, and including a huge and-one off an offensive rebound that essentially sealed the win. He finished with a career high in points and rebounds, scoring 21 and grabbing 12 boards.

PG Denver Thomasson made a few free throws down the stretch to ice the victory, extending the Ram's winning streak to 10. James Madison won their game as well, however, and remain 2 games behind VCU. The two only play one another once, however, and will not meet until the last week of the regular season. For now, VCU will shift their focus to their road contest against UNC-Wilmington, a team they just barely beat at home two games ago.

Virginia Commonwealth Rams at Delaware Fightin Blue Hens
Feb 6, 2010	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Virginia Commonwealth (20-4)	37	41	78
Delaware (9-14)	27	45	72

Virginia Commonwealth Rams
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Thomasson	20	3-8	0-1	6-6	1	5	3	1	2	12
I. Pleiness	20	4-12	2-3	6-7	0	7	0	0	0	16
R. Brandenberg	20	3-7	2-5	1-1	1	1	0	0	1	9
J. Reddic	20	10-15	0-0	1-1	12	0	0	1	2	21
D.J. Haley	22	3-6	0-0	0-0	7	1	0	0	0	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Mascoll	11	3-5	0-0	0-0	4	0	0	0	0	6
R. Skivolocke	10	1-5	0-0	0-0	3	1	3	0	1	2
H. Houston	8	3-4	0-0	0-0	0	0	2	0	0	6
D. Theus	8	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	4	0	0	0	0
T. Daniels	10	0-3	0-2	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		30-65	4-11	14-16	30	19	8	2	8	78

Delaware Fightin Blue Hens
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Clyburn	20	5-11	3-5	0-0	2	5	0	0	1	13
M. Hawkins	22	5-13	1-8	0-0	1	5	0	1	0	11
S. Ziri	23	9-14	1-3	2-3	3	2	3	0	2	21
J. Graham	21	3-3	0-0	1-2	8	3	2	2	2	7
O. Jelenic	20	2-5	0-1	0-0	9	2	0	0	0	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
K. McNeil	11	3-4	0-0	0-0	6	0	0	0	1	6
D. Saddler	16	1-6	0-1	2-4	0	1	0	0	2	4
J. Hagins	4	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
W. Townsville	6	1-3	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	2
A. Berrelleca	8	1-1	0-0	2-4	3	0	1	0	2	4
TEAM TOTALS		30-61	5-19	7-13	33	19	6	3	10	72

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Colonial Athletic Association Conference Standings - Updated: Feb 8, 2010
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	GB
VCU	20-4		12-1
James Madison	12-11		10-3
William & Mary	12-11		8-5
Hofstra	17-7		8-5
Drexel	12-11		6-7
Towson	14-8		6-7
George Mason	9-14		6-7
Delaware	9-14		6-7
Georgia State	13-12		6-7
Old Dominion	9-16		4-9
Northeastern	11-13		4-9
UNC Wilmington	4-20		3-10

__________________________________________________ _______

NCAA Hoops Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Feb 8, 2010
RK	TEAM (VOTES)	RECORD
1	NC State	20-2
2	Florida	18-3
3	Kansas	18-4
4	Georgetown	19-5
5	Georgia Tech	15-6
6	Gonzaga	20-3
7	Dayton	19-2
8	Alabama	15-5
9	Illinois	17-5
10	Wake Forest	18-4
11	Memphis	19-4
12	Minnesota	18-6
13	Maryland	15-5
14	San Diego State	16-4
15	Saint Mary's	17-5
16	Oregon State	19-4
17	Oregon	17-6
18	Illinois State	18-5
19	Arizona State	16-6
20	Duke	15-7
21	Michigan State	18-7
22	New Mexico	16-5
23	Fairfield	24-2
24	Saint Louis	17-5
25	Evansville	20-3

[waytofailself]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

I always found Delaware tough at home when I faced them. Good job on the victory and holding on.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

vs
2/10/10
Wilmington, NC

Another game against the Seahawks, another harder than expected victory. Despite having an inverse record of their opponent, the VCU Rams struggled to put away the UNC Wilmington Seahawks this evening.

The Rams did not hit many outside shots in this one; it was arguably one of their worst shooting performances of the season from outside the paint as they were 1-8 from the three-point line and routinely missed open mid-range jumpshots. Instead of forcing the issue, however, the Rams adjusted and began feeding their big guys in the paint and slashing to the basket, drawing fouls, and making their free throws.

The free throw differential was perhaps the deciding factor in this one, as the Rams made 18 of their 20 free throws by the Seahawks only attempted 5, making 4 of them.

The VCU defense was not nearly as stout as they have shown for much of the season, allowing the Seahawks to make over 55% of their shots. However, they forced timely turnovers and keep UNCW from scoring from the perimeter, which is the only way they could have made up for the huge free throw differential.

Still, VCU could never build a lead larger than 10-12 for much of the game and the game was as close as 6 in the final few minutes before Iker Pleiness and Javonte Reddic put the game away with buckets in the paint. VCU improves to 21-4 overall and 13-1 in conference. VCU will put their 11-game winning streak on the line as they travel to George Mason Saturday for their third consecutive road game. They defeated the Patriots earlier in the year at home by 6, so expect another close contest this weekend.

Virginia Commonwealth Rams at North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks
Feb 10, 2010	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Virginia Commonwealth (21-4)	34	41	75
North Carolina-Wilmington (4-21)	30	33	63

Virginia Commonwealth Rams
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Thomasson	18	1-6	0-1	2-2	3	5	1	0	0	4
I. Pleiness	17	5-13	1-2	7-7	5	3	3	0	1	18
R. Brandenberg	17	2-6	0-4	0-0	0	2	0	0	0	4
J. Reddic	18	10-16	0-0	2-2	4	1	2	0	0	22
D.J. Haley	18	4-6	0-0	3-4	9	0	1	4	0	11
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Mascoll	12	2-2	0-0	1-2	2	1	1	0	0	5
R. Skivolocke	12	2-7	0-0	1-1	2	1	1	0	0	5
H. Houston	10	0-1	0-0	2-2	2	0	1	0	1	2
D. Theus	10	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	1	0
T. Daniels	17	2-3	0-1	0-0	0	2	1	1	1	4
TEAM TOTALS		28-60	1-8	18-20	23	18	12	5	5	75

North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
P. Dowling	22	2-6	2-3	2-2	3	4	1	0	3	8
C. Hines	26	2-8	0-5	0-0	0	6	2	0	7	4
K. Rendleman	22	3-6	0-1	0-0	5	2	0	1	0	6
P. Joynes	23	2-4	0-1	0-0	7	1	0	1	0	4
M. Ramsdell	23	7-10	0-0	0-0	4	1	0	1	0	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
A. Allen	12	5-7	1-1	0-0	2	0	2	0	0	11
M. Davisson	13	6-8	0-0	2-3	2	0	0	0	0	14
M. Wilson	7	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	1	0
K. Pace	8	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	0	1	2
TEAM TOTALS		28-51	3-11	4-5	25	15	5	3	14	63