VCU Blowout: No. 5 Rams Dominate Akron In NCAA Tournament, 88-42

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- VCU was at its best, pressing, running – and winning with ease.

The fifth-seeded Rams set an NCAA tournament record that stood for about an hour Thursday night, throttling 12th-seeded Akron 88-42 for the most lopsided victory by a team seeded third or lower in the NCAA tournament.

By the end of the night, No. 4 seed Syracuse had broken the mark by routing 13th-seeded Montana 81-34.

Troy Daniels had 23 points and Juvonte Reddic scored 21 for the Rams. They broke a margin-of-defeat record by a team seeded third or lower set by No. 3 Arizona in 1996, when it beat 14th-seeded Valparaiso by 39 points, according to STATS.

The previous mark by a fifth-seeded team against a 12th-seeded squad was set by Wyoming in a 35-point win over Howard in 1981 and matched by Tennessee against Long Beach State in 2007, according to STATS.

"It's a great accomplishment," Daniels said. "We'll take it, but we've got to get ready to play Saturday."

The Rams (27-8) will play fourth-seeded Michigan for a spot in the round of 16.

"That's what we live for," VCU coach Shaka Smart said.

Akron (26-7) was seriously short-handed, and it showed.

In addition to playing without suspended point guard Alex Abreu, the Zips had other problems as well. Starting guard Brian Walsh and reserve center Pat Forsythe were limited by the flu, and reserve guard Deji Ibitayo wasn't even in uniform because of back spasms.

"On top of everything else, we have one guy hurt his back and two guys with the flu," Akron forward Nick Harney said. "But we weren't the only team that had to deal with adversity. There were other teams here that overcame things and won. You have to play the hand you are dealt. We didn't get the job done, and I hate that for the seniors.

"We'll have more chances to get wins in the tournament, but those guys won't."

The way VCU played, though, Akron might've had a lot of trouble even if it was at full strength.

VCU looks as though it might have what it takes to make another run in the NCAA tournament. But unlike its 2011 trip to the Final Four, hardly anyone would be shocked if the Rams win three more games to reach the national semifinals.

Smart wants his players to wreak havoc with a full-court press and a fast-paced offense, and they did just that against the Zips.

Without Abreu, who was arrested on drug trafficking charges two weeks ago, Akron struggled to simply get the ball to the other end of the court.

"We definitely thought we could use that to our advantage and go after them and exploit that," said VCU guard Rob Brandenberg, who scored 14 points and had one of his team's 11 steals.

VCU forced the Zips into 10-second violations twice in less than a minute early in the game after they led 6-4, and the Rams scored 10 straight points to take control for good.

"We used so much energy trying to get the ball up the court, we couldn't guard them," Akron coach Keith Dambrot said.

The Atlantic 10 team sealed the victory by closing the first half with a 16-3 run.

The only question after halftime was how large the winning margin would be, and Smart wasn't going to be satisfied with his reserves cruising to an easy victory.

With his team up by 40 midway through the second half, Smart didn't show any mercy on his former boss and close friend, Dambrot. Smart left his starters in the game until there were about seven minutes left.

"We're not going to fall back and play zone," Smart said. "That's not what we do."

The Rams kept pressing, making behind-the-back passes, hitting layups and draining 3-pointers along with an alley-oop dunk in a relentlessly dominating performance.

"If you're up, you can't let up," VCU guard Darius Theus said. "We made up our minds at halftime that we weren't stopping."

Smart didn't stop coaching even when his team was leading 65-34 with 15:04 left.

Before addressing his players in a huddle, he started the timeout with a face-to-face conversation with Daniels – their noses inches apart – perhaps pointing him toward improving for his next test against the previously top-ranked Wolverines.

"He was telling me to box out," Daniels recalled. "I said, `OK, Coach, I got you.'"

Demetrius Treadwell scored 15 and Zeke Marshall had 11 points for the Mid-American Conference champion Zips, who shot below 35 percent.

While forcing turnovers, VCU took good care of the basketball when it was on offense.

VCU forced 22 turnovers and gave up the ball just seven times – at least once at the end of the game on purpose – to narrowly miss another feat. Since 1990, the largest turnover differential when one team had seven or fewer turnovers was 16 set by Syracuse in 1996 against Mississippi State and matched by Utah State against Ohio State in 2001, according to STATS.

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Jodi Arias Trial: Boobs, Anal Sex Dominate Day 10

Day 10 of Jodi Arias' first-degree murder trial in Phoenix, Ariz., highlighted some of the defendant's sexual preferences and a boob job she got prior to meeting the man she is accused of killing.

Testimony regarding Arias' sex life and breast surgery was delivered by her ex-boyfriend, Darryl Brewer, a 52-year-old divorcee with a teenage son. Brewer testified he met Arias in 2001, when she was about 22, and dated her for about four years. They were in love, he said.

Maricopa County prosecutor Juan Martinez asked Brewer whether he had told investigators that Arias "was pretty aggressive during sex." Brewer said he didn't recall the statement, but acknowledged having anal sex with Arias when they were dating. He said he couldn't remember how many times they did so.

The testimony showed that Arias was no stranger to anal sex before she met murder victim Travis Alexander.

Arias, a 32-year-old photographer, is accused of shooting Alexander in the face, stabbing him 27 times and slitting his throat from ear to ear in the shower of his Mesa apartment on June 4, 2008. She has pleaded not guilty to murder, contending she was a victim of domestic violence and killed Alexander in self-defense. Prosecutors allege Arias was jealous and did not want Alexander to see other women.

Brewer said he and Arias purchased a house together in 2005, in Palm Desert, Calif. Brewer said they had discussed marriage, but he was not ready to commit, given his recent divorce. Around that time, Brewer said, Arias had breast surgery.

"You told people she obtained breast implants to fit in with your crowd?" Martinez said.

"[I] don't remember telling people she got breast implants," Brewer replied.

Brewer testified that he never saw Arias act jealous or show a violent temper. Brewer said he did, however, believe that Arias had taken photos of him, without his consent, while he was in the nude, sleeping and in the shower.

Brewer said that as the couple's relationship deteriorated, Arias began acting differently. During the fall of 2006, they stopped having sexual relations "because she was saving herself for marriage," Brewer testified. Their house was foreclosed in 2007 and Arias moved to Arizona.

Brewer testified the couple remained in contact after the breakup. She contacted him in May 2008 to borrow gas cans for a long trip, he said. Brewer said he loaned her the cans on June 3, 2008. He said he never got them back.

Brewer said Arias contacted him again later that month, hysterical. He said she told him her friend had been murdered.

Public defender Kirk Nurmi returned to Brewer's sex life with Arias.

"Did your sex life involve her wearing little boys' underwear, wearing pigtails and schoolgirl outfits, bending her over a desk, ejaculating on her face, calling her a whore, or a slut, or a three-hole wonder?" Nurmi asked.

"No," Brewer replied.

Earlier in the trial, the defense lawyer said Alexander had called Arias a "three-hole wonder" and was sexually aggressive with her.

JODI ARIAS TRIAL PHOTOS: (Article Continues Below)

Loading Slideshow

The drivers license Jodi Arias presented when she rented a car prior to Travis Alexander's murder.

Some photos in this slideshow are graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers.

A photo of Jodi Arias taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at Travis Alexander's home. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken on the same day of Alexander's murder.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his home. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken on the same day of Alexander's murder.

A photo of Jodi Arias taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at Travis Alexander's home. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken on the same day of Alexander's murder.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken on the same day of Alexander's murder.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

The last photo ever taken of Travis Alexander, directly before his murder. The photo was recovered from the camera card.

A photo of Travis Alexander taken from the camera card found in the washing machine at his. Prosecutors allege this photo was taken minutes before he was murdered.

A photo of Travis Alexander's body in the shower of his apartment.

A photo of Travis Alexander's body in the shower of his apartment.

A photo of Travis Alexander's body in the shower of his apartment.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

The prosecution contends this photo, shown in court on Jan. 8, 2013, shows Travis Alexander had multiple self-defense wounds to his palms and fingers that indicate he had fought for his life during the knife attack.

Autopsy photo of Travis Alexander's legs.

Autopsy photo of Travis Alexander's foot.

A photo of Travis Alexander's body in the shower of his apartment.

X-ray image of Travis Alexander's skull that was shown in court.

X-ray image of Travis Alexander's skull that was shown in court.

X-ray image of Travis Alexander's back that was shown in court.

Excerpt of Jodi Arias' police interrogation on July 16, 2008.

Second excerpt of Jodi Arias' police interrogation on July 16, 2008.

According to Jodi Arias' defense attorney, Travis Alexander had this shirt made for her to show his ownership of her.

A photo presented in court by the defense that shows Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander when they first met in September 2006.

Excerpts of messages shown in court that were exchanged, according to prosecutors, by Jodi Arias and her former love interest, Ryan Burns.

Excerpts of messages shown in court that were exchanged, according to prosecutors, by Jodi Arias and her former love interest, Ryan Burns.

Excerpts of messages shown in court that were exchanged, according to prosecutors, by Jodi Arias and her former love interest, Ryan Burns.

Excerpts of messages shown in court that were exchanged, according to prosecutors, by Jodi Arias and her former love interest, Ryan Burns.

Excerpts of messages shown in court that were exchanged, according to prosecutors, by Jodi Arias and her former love interest, Ryan Burns.

Excerpts of messages shown in court that were exchanged, according to prosecutors, by Jodi Arias and her former love interest, Ryan Burns.

Another photo shown in court, of Travis Alexander baptizing Jodi Arias as a Mormon.

Bathroom sink.

Bathroom sink.

The medical examiner's remarks on Travis Alexander's injuries.

The medical examiner's remarks on Travis Alexander's injuries.

Earlier Tuesday, Gus Searcy was called to the stand. He was a mentor and friend of Arias when she worked for Pre-Paid Legal. Searcy testified they met in 2007 or 2008 and became friends.

Searcy testified Arias dressed feminine, but conservative, and was never sexually inappropriate.

Testimony resumes Wednesday morning. If convicted, Arias faces the possibility of the death penalty.

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