Rams Control Physical Matchup, Beat Saint Peter’s 78–61

VCU shook off an early hole and controlled the rest of the night behind a relentless whistle parade and a huge push from the bench. The Rams ripped off a 9–2 burst—sparked by Tyrell Ward’s four-point play and a Terrence Hill Jr. triple—and never looked back, building a 41–32 halftime lead behind 19 first-half free-throw attempts.

The game turned into a foul-heavy brawl from there. VCU finished 26–35 at the line, Saint Peter’s went 17–19, and both teams combined for 54 free-throw attempts. Every SPU run was met with an answer: a 10–2 surge out of halftime (largest lead 51–34), then a settling stretch after SPU cut it to 10 with 12:43 remaining.

VCU’s bench was the difference again, dropping 36 points, with Hill (13), Tracey (11), Evans (11), and Djokovic (11) all in double-figures. Ward led all Rams with 15 points. Saint Peter’s got 25 from Brent Bland, including 18 before halftime.

The Rams move to 2–0 at home and 2–1 overall.

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Key Performances:​

• Ball Movement: VCU assisted on 16 of 22 made field goals, keeping the offense balanced despite the constant whistles.
• Rebounding Battle: VCU edged the boards 39–37, but the slim advantage didn’t translate into extra scoring opportunities.
• Second-Chance Points: Saint Peter’s made far more of their offensive rebounds, winning this category 14–4.
• Bench Impact: VCU’s depth took over again, outscoring SPU’s bench 36–18.
• Points in the Paint: VCU held a slight edge inside 26–24, fueled by transition and rim pressure.
• Defensive Efficiency: SPU finished just 31% from the floor and 25% from three against VCU’s length and rotations.
• Dunk Clinic: VCU threw down 12 dunks, meaning 15% of all made shots were finishes above the rim.

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Next Up:​

VCU returns to action on Monday, Nov. 17th, as they head south to take on the the Will Wade led Wolfpack of North Carolina St. That game is set to tip at 7pm EST and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.