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RAM-BUNCTIOUS!

VCU will play Pittsburgh Saturday night.

RAM-BUNCTIOUS!
Kent Jennings Brockwell / Richmond.com
 VCU's T.J. Gwynn swarms an inbound pass in the opening round's waning minutes.

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Mike Ward
Richmond.com
Thursday, March 15, 2007

Boasting 22 points, sick poise and a game-winning shot with 1.8 seconds remaining, Virginia Commonwealth University sophomore guard Eric Maynor made sure their Cinderella story didn't take a fairy tailspin during the NCAA tournament's opening round in Buffalo on Thursday night. It was an encore performance in the national spotlight for Maynor and the West Region's No. 11 Rams (28-6), as they upset the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils 79-77 less than two weeks after outlasting George Mason in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship. "What Mason did last year was great," soft-spoken VCU Coach Anthony Grant said in a post-game press conference. "But any reference to George Mason or being Cinderella…we want to be VCU."
Just like in VCU's last game against George Mason, the Rams faced calamity in crunch time – and throughout the 40-minute tilt. Down 13 points during the first half and 11 in the second, VCU was trailing Duke 71-70 until Jesse Pellot-Rosa hit a jumper with 1:59 remaining to put the Rams in front, 72-71. It was actually a second-chance bucket cued up by a rebound from Wil Fameni, who had been sidelined for most of the half with a bloody nose after a hard foul in the lane. It was a see-saw battle during the final two minutes before Maynor's game-winning shot – and Duke's consequent desperation three-point attempt as time expired. The game was tied up at 77 with just a few ticks remaining on the clock and Maynor said he signaled to Grant that he didn't want to take a timeout. He wanted to run it without delay. "I knew when I got it in my hands I was going to try to bring my man down and make a play," Maynor said. "I felt like if I came down and got him off balance a little, I would be able to hit a short jumper." The game was chippy throughout the second half. At one point Duke's Jon Scheyer got up from the hardwood with a bloodied eye. And another time Maynor and Blue Devils' point guard Greg Paulus, who finished with 25 points, exchanged frisky chest jumps at mid-court. "It was just a physical game," Paulus said after the game. "We're not going to back down from anyone." But neither was VCU, which again grabbed key plays from junior forward Michael Anderson, who finished with 10 points, four boards and seven steals – one more than Maynor. Likewise, the Blue Devils' big man, sophomore Josh McRoberts, feasted inside with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Blue Devils Coach Mike Krzyzewski attributed the Blue Devils' (22-11) loss to missed free throws (Duke went 20 for 32) and early foul trouble. McRoberts had two fouls early in the game and guard DeMarcus Nelson picked up his fourth foul with about 11 minutes remaining. "They play 40 minutes," Krzyzewski said of VCU. "They play hard. They're deep, well coached." The loss marks the first time that Duke hasn't advanced to the Sweet 16 since 1995 – the same year that VCU last advanced past the NCAA tournament's opening round. The Rams' win also marked this tournament's first real upset. "We were picked sixth in the preseason CAA," added Pellot-Rosa, who finished with 14 points. "We remember that." VCU will now play Pittsburgh on Saturday at 5:50 p.m. to determine who advances to the Sweet 16.
  • Check back soon for more on the Rams and the NCAA tourney, including in-depth game coverage, photos and post-game insights.
  • Check out our NCAA road trip RBlog.
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