VCU Athletics-Men's Basketball

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH LOSES FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX GAMES AS WILLIAM & MARY WINS 73-65
1-12-00
Box Score
Virginia Commonwealth was unable to overcome a hot start by its opponent from the perimeter as William & Mary defeated the Rams 73-65 in a Colonial Athletic Association matchup on Wednesday night in the ALLTEL Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The loss, the first conference defeat of the season for Virginia Commonwealth, snapped the Rams' five-game winning streak.

Bo Jones (Richmond, Va.) scored 21 second half points to finish with a team-high 26 for the Rams. It was the sixth game with at least 20 points for Jones this season. Also in double figures for Virginia Commonwealth was sophomore forward Reggie Okosa (Claymont, Del.), who finished with 10 points and shared team-high honors in rebounds as he and teammate Shawn Hampton (Baltimore, Md.) each pulled down seven boards. Mit Winter connected on four three-pointers on his way to a game-high 27 points for the Tribe.

Winter set the tone for the first half as he scored the first points of the game on a three-pointer. William & Mary would build its lead to 13 points in the first half when Winter connected on another trey to put the Tribe up 28-15 at the 8:57 mark. Virginia Commonwealth then went on a 10-0 run and closed the gap to three points when junior guard Scott Lilly (Charlotte, N.C.) hit a three-pointer to make the score 28-25 in favor of William & Mary. The half ended with the Tribe holding a 37-30 advantage. William & Mary connected on eight shots from three-point range and converted only five two-point goals in the opening 20 minutes.

The Rams, which have won three times when trailing at the half this year, staged another comeback in the second period. A jumper by Jones cut the Tribe's lead to 47-45 with 11:47 remaining. William & Mary was able to hold off the charge and led by at least five points for the final nine minute of the contest.

The loss was the first for Virginia Commonwealth in 32 days, dating back to a 75-58 defeat at Western Kentucky on Dec. 11. That is the longest amount of time the Rams had not suffered a defeat since a 36-day span in 1996. It was also the second-longest stretch since 1985. Virginia Commonwealth now stands at 8-5 overall and 1-1 in CAA play, while William & Mary improves to 7-7 on the year with a 2-2 mark in the conference. The Rams wrap up their four-game homestand on Saturday as they play host to James Madison. Game time at the ALLTEL Pavilion is set for 7:30 p.m.

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