Boneless Rams Prove They Still Have Meat in Win Over St. Louis
by Charlie Krausse February 23, 2021
@ckrauss02
@ckrauss02
Ace Baldwin scored 15 points & added 7 assists
No Bones Hyland. No problem. Insert a motivated and inspired Rams team with depth on the bench. That was exactly what was needed for the VCU Rams to knock off a very pesky St. Louis Billikins. VCU’s leading scorer, Bones Hyland, out from an ankle sprain in the loss to George Mason. Rams fans may have been nervous, but the Rams that mattered most, played with heart and inspired basketball.
Role players took their next step in the process, while Ace Baldwin and Vince Williams proved they can each be “The Man” in the Rams 67-65 victory Tuesday night.
Point Guard, Ace Baldwin played all 40 minutes for the Rams, scoring 15 points, with 7 assists and 3 steals. But, his two most important points came with 4 seconds remaining. After being foul on a possible game winning shot, Ace went to the line and broke the tie making both free throws in a true pressure game winning situation.
Vince Williams led the team in both scoring with 16 points and rebounds with 9 to aid the Rams.
The bench and depth proved to be the difference in the match. While St. Louis was plagued with foul trouble, the Rams proved the have meat on their bones. Yes, bad pun. The bench added 10 points and 6 rebounds. If Jamir Watkins (put in Bones’ starting spot) is included, then the “regular depth” provided 19 points.
Watkins still not putting together a complete game as a true freshman, is proving his potential. The 6’7 freshman guard added 9 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds. Throw in the play by reserve Josh Banks (because Keyshawn Curry missed, as well) with his 7 points over 20 minutes and the Rams’ depth proved it can win big games when it matters most.
St. Louis was predicted to finish either 1st or 2nd in the Atlantic 10 by most experts. St. Louis might have had a rough mid-season missing 30+ days due to COVID related reasons, but they are still a team in heavy consideration for the upcoming national tournament.
Havoc still remains as part of the VCU DNA. The Rams forced 15 Billikin turnovers and blocked another 7 shots. Sophomore Hassan Ward added another 3 blocks to Atlantic 10 lead in the stat category (Ward ranks 16th in the nation in blocks, overall). The Rams rank in the Top 10 in turnovers forced, block shots and 5th in the nation in steals. Havoc continues to be in full force.
VCU dropped to 35th in the NET rankings after their loss to George Mason. Throw in another Quad-2 win tonight and the Rams will move back up in the rankings. VCU has one game remaining after the Atlantic-10 adjusted the schedules. The Rams close the season at Davidson this Saturday afternoon. VCU improved to 17-5 overall and 10-3 in the conference, which, is a percentage point lead over St. Bonaventure for the 1-seed in the Atlantic-10 conference tournament next week.
Role players took their next step in the process, while Ace Baldwin and Vince Williams proved they can each be “The Man” in the Rams 67-65 victory Tuesday night.
Point Guard, Ace Baldwin played all 40 minutes for the Rams, scoring 15 points, with 7 assists and 3 steals. But, his two most important points came with 4 seconds remaining. After being foul on a possible game winning shot, Ace went to the line and broke the tie making both free throws in a true pressure game winning situation.
Vince Williams led the team in both scoring with 16 points and rebounds with 9 to aid the Rams.
The bench and depth proved to be the difference in the match. While St. Louis was plagued with foul trouble, the Rams proved the have meat on their bones. Yes, bad pun. The bench added 10 points and 6 rebounds. If Jamir Watkins (put in Bones’ starting spot) is included, then the “regular depth” provided 19 points.
Watkins still not putting together a complete game as a true freshman, is proving his potential. The 6’7 freshman guard added 9 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds. Throw in the play by reserve Josh Banks (because Keyshawn Curry missed, as well) with his 7 points over 20 minutes and the Rams’ depth proved it can win big games when it matters most.
St. Louis was predicted to finish either 1st or 2nd in the Atlantic 10 by most experts. St. Louis might have had a rough mid-season missing 30+ days due to COVID related reasons, but they are still a team in heavy consideration for the upcoming national tournament.
Havoc still remains as part of the VCU DNA. The Rams forced 15 Billikin turnovers and blocked another 7 shots. Sophomore Hassan Ward added another 3 blocks to Atlantic 10 lead in the stat category (Ward ranks 16th in the nation in blocks, overall). The Rams rank in the Top 10 in turnovers forced, block shots and 5th in the nation in steals. Havoc continues to be in full force.
VCU dropped to 35th in the NET rankings after their loss to George Mason. Throw in another Quad-2 win tonight and the Rams will move back up in the rankings. VCU has one game remaining after the Atlantic-10 adjusted the schedules. The Rams close the season at Davidson this Saturday afternoon. VCU improved to 17-5 overall and 10-3 in the conference, which, is a percentage point lead over St. Bonaventure for the 1-seed in the Atlantic-10 conference tournament next week.
picture courtesy of Richmond.com