VCU Athletics-Men's Basketball

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH HOLDS OFF SECOND HALF CHARGE BY AMERICAN FOR 66-64 VICTORY
2-23-00
Box Score
Holding its largest lead at the intermission in two months, Virginia Commonwealth fought off a tenacious effort by American in the second half to pull out a 66-64 victory on Wednesday night in the ALLTEL Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The Rams continued to show a knack for winning close games, as they are now 8-2 this season in games decided by five points or less or in overtime.

Virginia Commonwealth was led by freshman forward Josh Graham (Flemingsburg, Ky.) and sophomore center Shawn Hampton (Baltimore, Md.), who shared team-high honors with 13 points, marking a career high for Graham and the fifth straight game in double figures for Hampton. Sophomore forward Reggie Okosa (Claymont, Del.) had nine rebounds to lead Virginia Commonwealth on the boards. Junior guard LaMar Taylor (Richmond, Va.) tallied four assists to move past the 400-assist mark for his career. He is just the sixth player in school history to reach that plateau. The Eagles were paced by a 19-point effort from Patrick Doctor.

The two teams struggled offensively in the opening minutes of the game, with the Rams holding just a 15-10 edge with 10:11 remaining in the first period. As the half came to a close, Virginia Commonwealth began to build its lead. The Rams went on a 12-4 run over the last three minutes of the first frame and held a 33-24 advantage at halftime, their largest since leading 38-25 at Pittsburgh on December 23.

American would open the second half with a scoring streak of its own, as the Eagles ran off the first 10 points of the period to take a 34-33 lead with 16:43 left to play. Virginia Commonwealth quickly regained the lead and would never lose it again, but not before American would make one last charge. Trailing 60-52 with just under five minutes to play, the Eagles went on an 8-2 tear over the next three minutes to slice their deficit to 62-60. But the Rams' defense tightened and American would come no closer.

Virginia Commonwealth improves to 13-12 overall and 6-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association. This is the first time since the 1996-97 season that the Rams have had a winning record this late in the year. American has now lost three straight games and falls to 9-15 on the season and 4-9 in conference play. Virginia Commonwealth will play its final home game of the season on Saturday, as it entertains crosstown rival Richmond. The tip-off at the ALLTEL Pavilion is set for 7:30 p.m.

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