Rams Charge On

With hard-nosed defense and strong support from the bench, VCU cruised to a decisive 73-60 victory over Georgia State on Saturday before a fervent hometown crowd in the quarterfinal round of the CAA tournament.

The bench provided 34 points for the No. 1 seeded Rams (17-2 CAA, 25-6), with T.J. Gwynn leading all VCU scorers with 14, ten of which came in the second half.

"We knew we had to play defense and the offense would take care of itself," Gwynn, an unassuming freshman forward, told reporters after the game.

After the game, VCU Coach Anthony Grant said his team stayed focused and played true to their "identity." And though his team's shooting wasn't stellar, Grant said he was pleased that his team was able to compensate with solid defense, forcing 20 turnovers and racking up 17 offensive rebounds.

The No. 9-seeded Georgia State (5-14 CAA, 11-20) never led the entire contest, but, early in the second half, the Panthers cut the deficit to as little as three points. The Rams then proceeded to go on an impressive 12-point run and never looked back. But Grant said he expected Georgia State to make some runs, and it was only a matter of how his team handled them. "We just had to stay the course," he said. Leonard Mendez led the Panthers with 22 points, 18 of which came from behind the arc. In Friday's first round, the Panthers edged William and Mary 70-68 with a last-second field goal on the part of Mendez.

During the post-game press conference, Grant was asked whether he feared his team would come out slow after a week rest. He replied with a decisive "no."

"It helped us refocus on our next goal, winning the tournament championship," said the VCU coach, adding that the team had not had a break since conference play began in January.

VCU forward Michael Anderson , who finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds, said the Ram's post-season mentality was no different than what they'd been doing throughout the regular season. "We just take it one day at a time," he said.

The Rams set a record this season with 16 regular-season conference wins.

Jesse Pellot-Rose, a VCU senior guard, went out with an injury to the ankle during Saturday's game, but there were no reports on how serious it was.

Junior guard Jamal Shuler added 13 for the Rams. VCU will now play the winner of Saturday's Drexel – Northeastern game on Sunday at 3 p.m.

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RBlog coverage In addition to our comprehensive game coverage, we'll also be delivering lighter takes and the inside scoop from the Richmond Coliseum. From the beer taps to the mascots' locker room, we'll be there. VOTE: Who will win the CAA men's tourney? Check out our Ultimate CAA Guide for all the info!