VCU (12-4, 4-3 CAA) looks to exact some revenge tonight against William & Mary (14-3 overall, 6-1 CAA) who pulled out a one-point win in Williamsburg on Dec. 5th.
After dropping two straight to Northeastern and Drexel, the Rams have won three in a row to improve to 4-3 in the CAA. Last week, the Rams picked up a pair of road victories, downing Hofstra and Georgia State after a home win over Delaware on Jan. 9. Prior to that, VCU fell to Northeastern at home and dropped a road tilt at Drexel.
Junior Larry Sanders scored a career-high 31 at Hofstra and leads the Rams in scoring at 15.3 points per game, while adding 8.1 rebounds and three blocked shots per contest.
But it has been the surprising play of Joey Rodriguez that has the Rams clicking on all cylinders. The junior guard ranks second on the team in scoring at 10.9 points per game after back-to-back 21-point performances. The reigning CAA Player of the Week leads the conference in assists, 5.6, and steals per game, 2.2, as well as assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.3.
As a team, the Black & Gold are the top scoring team in the CAA averaging 80.0 ppg, while holding their opponents to just 67.0 ppg. VCU also leads the CAA in steals per game at 8.6, while ranking second in 3-pointers made per contest at 6.9.
The Tribe are winners of 14 of their last 15 games and improved to a program-best 6-1 in CAA play after defeating JMU (85-78) and Hofstra (73- 66) last week. W&M’s overall mark is the best since 1948-49.
The Tribe also own key wins over Richmond, Wake Forrest and Maryland this season.
William & Larry success hinges on their ability to control the ball and limited turnover. The Tribe ranks among the top 10 in the nation in fewest turnovers at 10.5 tpg and assist/turnover ratio at 1.5. Over the last 10 games, W&M has only turned the ball over an average of 9.2 per contest.
The Tribe leads the CAA in FG 45.9%, FT 72.5% and 3-point percentage 38.8%.
W&M are equally good on the road and are currently riding a school-record seven-game road winning streak, which is also currently the longest in the country tied with Vermont.
In their last meeting A last second three-pointer by junior Ed Nixon fell short for the Rams who lost to the Tribe of William & Mary, 75-74, in the CAA opener.
Nixon posted a second straight career-high with 18 points. Larry Sanders added his third consecutive double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
William & Mary has only won once inside the Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel, that coming in the first year of the building’s existence.
Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
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