GAME NOTES: The red-hot Rams of VCU will try to remain in first place of the Colonial Athletic Association when they battle the Hofstra Pride this evening at Hofstra Arena. The Rams have played tremendous basketball of late and come into this matchup with a five-game winning streak. The last time VCU was on the floor the team grabbed a strong, 78-68 victory over Old Dominion. With the win the team pushed its CAA record to a league best 6-1. Although VCU is 13-4 on the year, the team is just 3-2 on the road. As for the Pride, they have not enjoyed much success this season. In fact, the team has won just four games in 16 tries. However, one of those victories came this past weekend, as the Pride defeated Drexel, 67-58. It was just the second conference victory for Hofstra, which is currently near the bottom of the standings. The Rams defeated Hofstra earlier this season by a 59-49 margin. With the win, VCU now owns an 8-5 lead over the Pride in the all-time series.

The Rams exploded the last time they were on the court, as they grabbed a 10- point win over Hofstra. In the victory VCU shot a sizzling 51.7 percent from the floor and made 10-of-22 attempts from behind the arc. Both Eric Maynor and Jamal Shuler posted double-doubles in the victory. Maynor scored 26 points and dished out 10 assists, while Shuler also tallied 26 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Maynor and Shuler have been the best scoring options for VCU throughout the season. Maynor is not only leading the team with 18.2 ppg, but the guard also has dished out a team-best 91 assists on the season. As for Shuler, he is posting 15.6 ppg, while shooting an impressive 43.2 percent from behind the arc. As a whole, the Rams come into tonight averaging 68.1 ppg, while shooting 44.0 percent from the floor.

The Pride are averaging just 65.8 ppg on the year, and a big chunk of that production has come from standout guard Antoine Agudio. Agudio has been outstanding for Hofstra, netting 23.2 ppg, while shooting a strong 41.5 percent from behind the arc. Charles Jenkins is the only other player for Hofstra posting double figures, as the guard is chipping in 14.3 ppg. Hofstra was not overly impressive the last time the team took the floor, but the squad played well enough to post a nine-point win over Drexel. In the win, the Pride shot 51.0 percent from the floor and overcame 18 turnovers. Jenkins led the way with 21 points and seven boards, while Dane Johnson tallied 17 points to go along with eight rebounds. As for Agudio, he struggled tremendously, netting just 3-of-10 shots from the field. The senior finished with six points, six rebounds and six assists, but also committed seven turnovers.

The Rams are far too talented for Hofstra. VCU will likely use its tough defensive play and timely shooting to collect a victory on the road.