RICHMOND, Va.Hes one of the top rebounders in all of NCAA Division 1 at 10.4 per game.
On Saturday, he fell short of his average.
By, hmm, exactly 10.4 rebounds.
Keith Rendleman of North Carolina-Wilmington, 14th in Division 1 and second in the Colonial Athletic Association in rebounding, had none Saturday in the Seahawks 59-47 loss to Drexel in the quarterfinals of the CAA tournament at Richmond Coliseum (see story).
Thats right. Zero. Zip. Nada. Naught. Nil.
None.
Rendleman, a 6-foot-7 junior, had recorded at least six rebounds in all 30 of UNCWs games this year. Saturdays game was the 93rd of his college career and the first in which he didnt record a single rebound. His previous career low was one against Campbell early last year.
Credit for the whitewash goes mainly to 6-9 junior forward Daryl McCoy, who was assigned to Rendleman much of the afternoon, but also to 6-8 sophomore Dartaye Ruffin and 6-5 senior Samme Givens, Drexels two other post players.
Rendleman is 6-8, but hes also just 215 pounds. McCoy (270), Ruffin (250) and Givens (220) total 740 pounds. And they threw their bulk around Saturday.
I never thought I would look down at a stat sheet and see zero rebounds for him, UNCW coach Buzz Peterson said. Youve got to give Drexel credit for that, making it difficult on him.
McCoys big, Ruffins big and Givens is big. Theyve got the weight in there and the size to push you out.
Rendleman killed Drexel for 23 points and nine boards when the two teams met in January. He managed only 10 points Saturday, nearly six below his season average and his fewest since he had seven against George Mason in mid-January.
Drexel, now 26-5 with an 18-game winning streak, faces Old Dominion at 2 p.m. in the CAA semifinals.
Daryls been doing it all year, Drexel coach Bruiser Flint said. One thing Ive always said about Rendleman, when he shoots the ball, he does a good job of going and getting the next one (offensive rebound). So we were trying to limit his opportunities when he missed and push him out far enough, which I dont think we did the first game. Make him catch it out farther and stop him from getting the next one.
As the second half opened, it was Ruffin who was on Rendleman. The result was the same.
Dartaye decided to start the second half, Im going to get every rebound, and Im going to shut Rendleman down, Flint said. We got some rebounds and some easy baskets and that was it.
McCoy is a man of few words. When asked how he managed to hold one of the nations best rebounders without a single one, he said simply, Just do what coach said. Play defense and rebound.
When asked specifically what he did against Rendleman that worked, he smiled and repeated, Just do what coach said. Play defense and rebound.
Rendleman said he couldnt recall ever having zero rebounds in a game. Ever. Anywhere.
They did a good job on defense, not letting me get to my comfortable spot and just boxing out on defense, he said. I just couldnt get my hands on the basketball.
UNC-Wilmington ranks 61st in Division 1 in rebounding, and Drexel is 132nd. But Drexel outrebounded the Seahawks 35-32 Saturday, including 23-13 in the second half.
When we played them down there, Rendleman had a pretty good game against us, Flint said. To hold him to no rebounds, thats something else, because hes one of the best in the league.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com