VCU Athletics-Men's Basketball

RAMS OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY WITH 73-67 OVERTIME WIN OVER OLD DOMINION
1-5-00
The Virginia Commonwealth men's basketball team fought back from a 12-point deficit to take a 73-67 win in overtime over Colonial Athletic Association rival Old Dominion on Wednesday night in the ALLTEL Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The victory for the Rams was the fourth this season in which they came back from at least 10 points down in the second half. It also snapped a four-game losing streak against the Monarchs.

Junior guard Bo Jones (Richmond, Va.) led Virginia Commonwealth with 19 points and also had a career-high 10 rebounds to register his first career double-double. Sophomore forward Shawn Hampton (Baltimore, Md.) also recorded a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Junior guard LaMar Taylor (Richmond, Va.) added 13 points for the Rams. Old Dominion's Skipper Youngblood led all scorers as he put in 22 points.

In the first half, Virginia Commonwealth would lead by as much as seven points before Old Dominion rallied to narrow the gap. Trailing 23-16, the Monarchs closed out the half with a 10-3 run and the two teams were tied at 26 at the half. The Monarchs were able to come back despite hitting just 27.3 percent from the floor (9-of-33) in the opening period.

Old Dominion quickly put the Rams in a hole in the second half, as it scored 13 of the half's first 15 points to take a 38-29 lead at the 14:37 mark. Virginia Commonwealth was trailing by 12 points with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game when it began its comeback. A tip-in by Hampton made the score 44-39 in favor of Old Dominion with seven minutes left to play. The Monarchs would keep the Rams at bay for several minutes when Virginia Commonwealth made its final charge.

The Rams took their first lead of the second half when Taylor made a free throw to finish his own three-point play and put Virginia Commonwealth up 53-52 with 2:14 remaining. Old Dominion led 56-53 when Taylor hit a three-point shot with 12 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

Virginia Commonwealth scored the first six points in the overtime period and never surrendered the lead again. Junior guard Scott Lilly (Charlotte, N.C.) hit six consecutive free throws in the extra frame to help put the game away.

The victory, the Rams' third in three overtime games this season, improves Virginia Commonwealth's record to 8-4, and 1-0 in conference play, while Old Dominion falls to 5-9 and 0-3 in the CAA. Virginia Commonwealth continues conference play next Wednesday when it plays host to William & Mary. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

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