Whether the distance is 15 feet or 21 feet, JeQuan Lewis is the player Virginia Commonwealth University wants taking the shots.

Lewis’ accuracy from both launching stations is a primary reason the Rams are 7-3. The Rams play Middle Tennessee State University at the Siegel Center on Saturday, Dec. 17.

The senior guard from Dickson, Tenn., was at his best in VCU’s 67-64 win last Saturday over Old Dominion University in Norfolk.

Helping erase an 11-point, late-game deficit, Lewis saved 17 of his 20 points for after intermission. That included 12 points in a decisive 16-1 Rams run in the waning minutes.

In foiling the host Monarchs and their raucous sellout crowd, Lewis hit 5 of 8 behind the arc — actually 20 feet, 9 inches — and 3 of 4 at the foul line at 15 feet.

Lewis, who was recruited to VCU by former Coach Shaka Smart, wears black and gold jersey No. 1 and is No. 1 in several statistical categories.

On the season, Lewis tops the Rams with a 15-point average, while sharing primary ball-handling chores with Jonathan Williams.

He also is the individual leader in 3-pointers (30 for 63, or 48 percent) and foul shooting (29 of 35, 83 percent).

Lewis’ career .821 foul-line mark is VCU’s all-time best — at least for the time being. Lewis is just ahead of Calvin Duncan (.818, 1981-85) on the career list.

Middle Tennessee State poses a major threat even at the Siegel Center, where an 87th straight sellout crowd is anticipated.

The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders from Conference USA — the same conference as ODU — are 9-1 with impressive wins over Vanderbilt University and the University of Mississippi from the Southeast Conference (SEC).

The Rams defeated Middle Tennessee State last year in Murfreesboro, Tenn., but the Raiders went on to win the Conference USA tournament and defeat Michigan State University in the NCAA tournament.

The VCU-Middle Tennessee State rivalry dates to 1973, when the Raiders were part of the Ohio Valley Conference.

During VCU’s Division I infancy in the early to mid-1970s, Ohio Valley Conference schools were most willing to play the then-fledgling independent Rams.

Middle Tennessee State, Murray State, Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, East Tennessee, Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay universities were among VCU’s first Division I opponents.

There was speculation then that Chuck Noe, then the VCU coach and athletic director, made overtures to the conference about joining. The deal breaker was likely VCU’s absence of football. 

Middle Tennessee State, with more than 22,000 students, left the Ohio Valley Conference in 2000 and competed in the Sun Belt Conference before joining Conference USA in 2013.