Golden Graham helps Smart get 100th win in rout of Duquesne
Jan 19, 2013: Pittsburgh, PA, USA: VCU Rams head coach Shaka Smart instructs his team during a timeout during the second half against the Duquesne Dukes at the Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Pugliese-USA TODAY Sports
This game was close at 18-16, however just as fast as a Usain Bolt 40 yard dash, the game was no longer a contest. VCU won big 90-63 at the Consol Energy Center.
The loss extends the Dukes losing streak to six games. The last time the team played at Consol it surprised many by defeating West Virginia, but now with a 7-11 overall record, Duquesne ran into an elite and ranked VCU team that outperformed them in practically every facet of the game.
“They’re just a far superior team than we are in every aspect,” Dukes Head Coach Jim Ferry said. “I think they’re better than ranked 20th in the country. That’s just a far more superior team than us right now, we don’t have the pieces yet to become that.”
As for the six game losing streak?
“We don’t talk about it,” Ferry said. “We’ve lost six games, one game at a time. I knew what I signed up for when I got here. We’ve got to rebuild this program. This league is a beast.”
The Rams had 12 three pointers, in the contest six of which came off the hands of Treveon Graham who had 20 points. Teammate Rob Brandenberg had five shots made from deep and a game high 22 points.
Duquesne freshmen had a big impact on their scoring. Derrick Colter led the team with 15 points while Quevyn Winters had 12 and Jeremiah Jones 10.
The Dukes scored just 18 points in the first half thanks to a dry spell that lasted 11 minutes and 18 seconds and was snapped with a field goal from Mamadou Datt.
The Rams meanwhile set a Consol Energy Center high for most points scored in a game. The win made smart the second youngest coach to win 100 games. He was a year older than Butler Head Coach Brad Stevens when he won his 100th game. Smart needed 131 games to reach the accomplishment, the 30th fewest in NCAA history.
“It’s not just my 100th win,” said Smart. “It’s been the other assistants’ wins, too. We’ve gotten better since that first season. I just want to win a few more.”
Coming off their worst home loss since an 85-54 loss to West Virginia December 9, 2006 the team will host St. Louis Wednesday with the tip off scheduled for 7 p.m.