Johnny Wolf scored 13 first half points before sitting out the second half with an ankle injury. Click image for box score

Richmond, Va. – Sophomore point guard Joey Rodriguez scored 18 of his career-high 25 points in the first half and sophomore skyscraper Larry Sanders had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds as VCU thumped UNC Wilmington, 88-59, in Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball action Monday night at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

         The Rams improved to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in the CAA with their sixth home victory without a loss. The Seahawks lost their ninth game in a row to fall to 3-12 and 0-3.

         Rodriguez, a second-year player from Oviedo, Fla., paced four Rams in double figures with his career night. Sanders recorded his third double-double of the season and the sixth of his career, senior guard Eric Maynor notched his first double-double of the year with 16 points and 12 assists, and sophomore guard Brandon Rozzell contributed 10 points off the bench.

         Junior guard Johnny Wolf scored all 13 of his points in the first half for UNCW before sitting out the final period with a right ankle sprain. Freshman guard Kevon Moore poured in a career-best 17 points, including 15 after intermission, and freshman swing man Jerel Stephenson had 12.

         VCU led wire-to-wire against the undersized Seahawks, building a 49-25 halftime lead and cruising down the stretch. The Rams wound up connecting on 32-for-61 for 52.5 percent from the field, becoming the 10^th opponent and sixth in the last seven contests to break the 50 percent plateau against UNCW.

         The Rams led by as many as 32 points before UNCW whittled the deficit to the final 29-point margin. Sanders hit a bucket in the lane with 11 minutes remaining to extend VCU’s lead to 65-38 before UNCW scored seven unanswered points to slice the lead to 65-45. Junior guard Montez Downey, making his first appearance in five games, drained a trifecta to start the spurt and Moore’s tip-in got the Seahawks within 20 points.

         It was the Rodriguez and Wolf show in the first half as Rodriguez went 5-for-7 from the field and was perfect on four free throws for 18 points. Wolf, meanwhile, scored all 13 of his points in the opening period on 5-for-8 shooting, but sat the remainder of the contest with the ankle injury.

         The Rams, who shot 58.6 percent in the first half, raced out to a quick 16-4 advantage by connecting on six of their first seven field goal attempts. UNCW, meanwhile, missed six of its first seven tires and struggled out of the gate against the taller, more physical Rams, shooting 33.3 percent in the first 20 minutes.

         Rozzell’s 3-pointer on the left wing with 15:17 showing in the first half staked the Rams to a 16-4 cushion and VCU used an 18-3 spurt later in the period to carry a 49-25 lead into the break. Rodriguez started the run with a pair of free throws and a triple from the left wing and Sanders converted both ends of a bonus situation with 2:30 left in the half to extend the margin to 47-19.

         The Seahawks open a two-game homestand Wednesday with a 7 p.m. tipoff against William & Mary at Trask Coliseum. The Rams battle Drexel at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Daskalakis Center in Philadelphia.

         Game Notes: VCU won its fifth straight over the Seahawks to take a 19-16 lead in the series…Senior guard Eric Maynor reached double figures for the fifth consecutive game vs. UNCW…UNCW is tied with William & Mary for last in the CAA…UNCW remained winless at 0-8 on the road…The Seahawks are now 0-5 against VCU’s Anthony Grant since he arrived three years ago…VCU scored 27 points off 20 UNCW turnovers…Nine Seahawks found the scoring column…UNCW’s bench outscored their counterparts, 25-23…No UNCW player had more than one assist in the game…VCU had 22 assists on 32 baskets…The two teams play again on Feb. 4 in Wilmington.  

-Courtesy UNCW