SLIGHT MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN VCU, SAINT LOUIS WAS ALL IT WAS

 

Briefly Told (at least that’s the plan … ALWAYS subject 

to change) ...

Brawl? What brawl? Fisticuffs? Get serious!

Check it out. From replays seen on the internet, if any 

punches were thrown in the final seconds of Saturday’s 

VCU-St. Louis basketball game, they were done in 

private … and no one was hurt.

Mostly, it was a bunch of guys acting like they wanted to 

hit someone, nothing more … nothing like last year’s 

nastiness in the stands between VCU and St. Louis 

fanatics ... sorry ... fans .. . when security did 

virtuallynothing to break it up.

This time the only participant to worry about was the St. 

Louis coach JOSH SCHERTZ… a beefy, overweight … 

OK, fat … man who came running onto the floor, trying 

to break the whole thing up … and looking like a ready-

made, serious candidate for a heart attack.

This time security appeared quickly and, as a unit, placed 

itself between the Rams and Billikens before moving the 

visitors back towards their bench area while, for the most 

part, ignoring the home team entirely.

OK, so you are the A-10 commissioner. What punishment 

for the nonsense would you hand out – and to whom

Based on what we saw plus eyewitness accounts from 

people who were there … I would fine or suspend (or 

both) the game officials for allowing the players to 

congregate in front of the scorer’s table as time was 

running out. You see one official talking to the player 

with the ball, QUENTIN JONES, in what appeared 

casual conversation.

Also, the VCU player who started the ruckus by stealing 

the ball, NYK LEWIS, should be penalized in some 

fashion. He should have known better … which I know, I 

know is a lot to expect from today’s top college 

basketball players, most of whom aren’t required to 

attend class.

Lewis got off an off-balance, very long three-point 

attempt and wound up in the stands, said to be pushed 

there by ROBBIE AVILA … although replay was less 

than conclusive. After a 10-minute delay, Lewis hit all 

three free throws for an 88-75 final … as 18th-ranked St. 

Louis ended VCU’s winning streak at 11 games.

By the way … was It only coincidence both last year’s 

riot in the stands and this year’s ugliness on the court 

were in St. Louis? Just asking.

FINAL WORDS from VCU coach PHIL MARTELLI 

JR., as quoted by the AP:

“We’ve got a lot of respect for them. I think they have 

some respect for us, I assume.”

ZAC JONES has 44 points in 38 games to lead 

American Hockey League defensemen … as well as the 

Rochester Americans … in scoring. His 37 assists are 

second only to Laval Rockets’ 31 year old journeyman 

forward LAURENT DAUPHIN, who has 40 … playing 

eight more games.

Having signed a one-year, two-way contract with the 

Buffalo Sabres as a free agent July 1, Jones, 25, is in a 

four-way tie for 11^th in AHL scoring ,,, and was one of 

three Amerks’ representatives at last week’s all-star 

festivities.

The native of Richmond has been summoned to Buffalo 

four times but still hasn’t appeared in a game for the 

Sabres who were the surprise of the NHL prior to the 

break for the Winter Olympics. They are 32-19-6 and 

stand alone in fourth place (70 points) in the Atlantic 

Division … after getting off to a terrible start as they try 

to avoid adding to a league record of missing 14 straight 

post-season playoffs.

It was no coincidence the turnabout came with a change 

in general managers Dec. 15, 2025. Out with KEVYN 

ADAMS, in with JARMO KEKALAINEN … who 

hired former Montreal Canadiens’ general mana MARC

BERGEVIN as associate GM.

WONDER WHY Canada’s MACKLIN CELEBRINI

 has been a breakout star of the Olympics? Credit to 

coach JON COOPER, who put the former San Jose 

Sharks’ overall No. 1 draft choice on a line with the 

world’s best player, CONNOR McDAVID of Edmonton, 

and Washington Capitals’ tough guy TOM WILSON.

Rivals have to concentrate on keeping McDavid off the 

scoreboard while staying alert to being hit by Wilson, 

who has developed into an offensive threat himself.

HARD TO BELIEVE … that, by overcoming a 2-0 third-

period deficit against Finland Friday, taking a 3-2 

decision on NATHAN MacKINNON’s goal in the final 

minute of regulation, Team Canada won for the first time 

in the Winter Games after trailing by two goals or more.

Until next time ...