TAYLOR EXPLODES AS RAMS WIN TOURNAMENT OPENER Box score 12-20-00 CAROLINA, P.R. - Sophomore Willie Taylor (Smyrna, Tenn./LaVergne) poured in a career-high 41 points with a torrid 15-for-19 shooting display to power Virginia Commonwealth to a 90-82 victory over Evansville Wednesday afternoon in the opening game of the 2000 San Juan Shootout, held at the Coliseo Guillermo Angulo in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Taylor connected on his first 10 shots of the game, seven of which came from three-point range, and tied the third-best individual single-game scoring output in VCU history. The Georgetown transfer amassed an amazing 26 points in the game's opening 10 minutes as the Rams jumped out to a 34-22 lead with 9:53 remaining before halftime. The 6-foot-5 swingman finished the day seven-of-10 from three-point range, and was just one trey short of tying senior teammate Bo Jones (Richmond, Va./Huguenot) school single-game record set at George Mason during the 1998-99 campaign. Taylor also produced the most points by a VCU player since Tyron McCoy scored 41 vs. George Mason on December 22, 1993. "Willie was outstanding," exclaimed VCU head coach Mack McCarthy. "He did a nice job of taking his shots within the flow of the game." Evansville cut the VCU margin to 41-39 at the break after scoring the last 10 points of the period and held a 56-55 lead with 13:40 left to play before Taylor sparked a 7-2 Rams' run which put VCU up 62-58 with 11 minutes remaining The Purple Aces again fought back and trimmed the Ram lead to one when freshman Dan Lytle's jumper made the score 69-68 with 6:11 on the clock. Evansville (4-4) was then held scoreless over the next four minutes, as VCU reeled off 10 straight points to build an 81-70 advantage with two minutes left. The Rams also committed a season-low nine turnovers on the afternoon and outrebounded the Purple Aces 34-27. Evansville grabbed just three boards on the offensive end for the game. "Defensively we were much more solid in the second half," said McCarthy. "We had just nine turnovers and allowed just three offensive rebounds. If we had those stats every game, I don?t see how we would lose." Senior L.F. Likcholitov (St. Petersburg, Russia/St. Petersburg Tech. Univ.) added 10 points in the win for the Rams, whose 7-3 start is the program's best beginning to a season since 1994-95. Lytle paced Evansville with 20 points, while senior Adam Seitz contributed 19 points for the Purple Aces in defeat. The victory came with a price for VCU, as Jones, the Rams' leading scorer, strained an Achilles tendon in the game's final minute and is doubtful for the remainder of the tournament. VCU will now face Southern Methodist (7-1), a 101-72 winner over Puerto-Rico Mayaguez in the Shootout?s second game at 1 p.m. tomorrow. The game can be heard live on WLEE (990 AM) and WHAP (1340 AM) radio, as well as on the internet at www.vcu.edu/vcurams.