VCU held off a second-half comeback to defeat No. 7-seeded Duquesne 71–66 in the A-10 Tournament quarterfinals on March 13 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
The Rams built a 10-point halftime lead on the strength of a 19–3 run over a seven-minute first-half stretch, forcing Duquesne into 1-of-11 shooting with four turnovers during that span, and carried a 39–29 cushion into the locker room.
Michael Belle was the engine of that first-half surge, scoring 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting during a stretch when VCU struggled to find their rhythm inside the three-point line. Belle finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Terrence Hill Jr. capped the half with a corner triple at the buzzer to push the lead to double digits. Hill finished with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, adding 6 assists.
Duquesne came charging out of halftime — opening the second half with a Williams three-pointer to cut it to 7, then chipping away to within 2 points twice in the final five minutes — but VCU answered each time.
Lazar Djokovic scored 13 points on 6-of-6 from the free throw line and added a key three-pointer at 18:51 of the second half — pushing the lead back to 10 at 42–32 — just as the Dukes appeared poised to erase the Rams' halftime advantage. Djokovic finished 13 pts, 2 reb.
Duquesne's Alex Williams led all scorers with 20 points off the bench and shot 8-of-15 from the field, keeping the Dukes within striking distance throughout the second half.
With the Rams clinging to a 3-point lead in the final 30 seconds, Brandon Jennings stepped to the line and converted both free throws to push it to 71–64, then blocked a Dukes three-point attempt on the ensuing possession to seal the 71–66 final. Jennings finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks.
Key Performances
Team Notes
Up Next
With the win, VCU improves to 1-0 in A-10 Tournament and 25-7 overall. The Rams return to action on March 14, facing the winner of Davidson and Saint Joseph's in the A-10 Tournament semifinals at PPG Paints Arena. Tip-off is set for 3:30 PM and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The Rams built a 10-point halftime lead on the strength of a 19–3 run over a seven-minute first-half stretch, forcing Duquesne into 1-of-11 shooting with four turnovers during that span, and carried a 39–29 cushion into the locker room.
Michael Belle was the engine of that first-half surge, scoring 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting during a stretch when VCU struggled to find their rhythm inside the three-point line. Belle finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Terrence Hill Jr. capped the half with a corner triple at the buzzer to push the lead to double digits. Hill finished with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, adding 6 assists.
Duquesne came charging out of halftime — opening the second half with a Williams three-pointer to cut it to 7, then chipping away to within 2 points twice in the final five minutes — but VCU answered each time.
Lazar Djokovic scored 13 points on 6-of-6 from the free throw line and added a key three-pointer at 18:51 of the second half — pushing the lead back to 10 at 42–32 — just as the Dukes appeared poised to erase the Rams' halftime advantage. Djokovic finished 13 pts, 2 reb.
Duquesne's Alex Williams led all scorers with 20 points off the bench and shot 8-of-15 from the field, keeping the Dukes within striking distance throughout the second half.
With the Rams clinging to a 3-point lead in the final 30 seconds, Brandon Jennings stepped to the line and converted both free throws to push it to 71–64, then blocked a Dukes three-point attempt on the ensuing possession to seal the 71–66 final. Jennings finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks.
Key Performances
- Terrence Hill Jr. — 20 pts, 1 reb, 6 ast
- Michael Belle — 14 pts, 7 reb, 2 stl
- Lazar Djokovic — 13 pts, 2 reb, 6-6 FT
- Nyk Lewis — 9 pts, 5 reb
- Brandon Jennings — 7 pts, 5 reb, 4 stl, 3 blk
Team Notes
- VCU shot 46.9% from the field and 43.8% from three
- Rams went 18-of-25 from the free throw line (72%)
- VCU bench outscored Duquesne bench 34–26
- VCU's biggest lead was 10 points at 42–32 in the second half
- Duquesne committed 15 turnovers; VCU scored 11 points off turnovers
- Both teams collected 4 second-chance points
- VCU committed just 3 turnovers in the first half before adding 8 in the second
Up Next
With the win, VCU improves to 1-0 in A-10 Tournament and 25-7 overall. The Rams return to action on March 14, facing the winner of Davidson and Saint Joseph's in the A-10 Tournament semifinals at PPG Paints Arena. Tip-off is set for 3:30 PM and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
