March 8, 2009
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Eric Maynor scored 13 of his 23 points in the second half and top-seeded Virginia Commonwealth advanced to the championship game of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament with a 61-53 victory against Old Dominion on Saturday.
VCU (23-9), trailed 30-27 early in the second half before Maynor scored four points and had a steal and fast-break assist in a 13-2 run that gave the Rams a 40-32 lead with 12:14 left.
Old Dominion (21-10) got within four several times after the Rams' run, but each time VCU answered, leaving the fourth-seeded Monarchs hoping for a bid to the NIT.
Frank Hassell led Old Dominion with 14 points and Kenyon Carter had 12, but the Monarchs shot just 32 percent from the field overall and were just 6-for-24 in the second half.
In the first half, ODU jumped out to a 10-point lead, 23-13 with 7:40 left aftera Marsharee Neeley jumper. VCU rallied to take the lead, 25-24 on Eric Maynor'strey with 2:54 left in the half. Marsharee Neely's basket and free throw with sixseconds left in the half put ODU up at halftime, 28-27.
ODU's Gerald Lee, who scored a career high 30 points with 10 rebounds Friday in thewin over Hofstra, scored only five points in the contest has he injured an anklein the first half.
The Monarchs outrebouned the Rams, 37-32 as Kent Bazemore led with seven boardsfor ODU, followed by Hassell with six. The Monarchs shot .320 (16-50) from thefloor, while VCU hit .457 (21-46).
Larry Sanders scored 12 points and hauled down a game high 14 rebounds for VCU.
The loss ended ODU's six-game winning streak. The Monarchs have won 10 of theirlast 12 games. Under head coach Blaine Taylor, the Monarchs have won 20 or moregames four of the last five years.