VCU advances to A-10 Semifinals with 76-59 win over St. Bonaventure

The No. 1-seeded VCU Rams showcased their defensive intensity and perimeter shooting to dispatch No. 8 St. Bonaventure, 76-59, in the Atlantic 10 Tournament quarterfinals at Capital One Arena. With the win, the Rams advance to the semifinals for a showdown with the winner of Loyola-Chicago vs. Saint Louis.

Before the game, several Rams received conference honors:

• Max Shulga – A-10 Player of the Year, First Team
• Luke Bamgboye – All-Defensive Team, All-Rookie Team
• Joe Bamisile – Second Team, All-Academic Team
• Zeb Jackson – Sixth Man of the Year

First Half​

Phillip Russell (6 PTS, 2 AST) returned to the lineup after missing the regular-season finale and wasted no time making an impact, drilling a three to open the scoring for VCU. After St. Bonaventure took a brief 8-7 lead, the Rams answered with a 7-0 run and never looked back.

Brandon Jennings (12 PTS, 3 REB, 3-3 3PT) provided a game-changing spark off the bench. In a two-minute span, Jennings buried two triples, grabbed an offensive board, nearly forced a sideline steal, and helped on a double-team that led to a turnover. His threes fueled an 8-0 VCU run, capped by a Christian Fermin (2 PTS) layup off a Jennings assist, putting the Rams up 24-15 with 5:49 left in the half.

The Rams extended their lead with relentless offensive rebounding. Jack Clark (17 PTS, 6 REB) hit a three, Joe Bamisile (13 PTS, 3 REB) scored inside, and Clark finished a reverse layup off the Rams’ fourth offensive rebound on a single possession, pushing the lead to 34-23.

At halftime, VCU led 36-26, improving to 22-3 in games when leading at the half. The Rams thrived off turnovers in the first half, scoring 15 points off Bonnies' miscues while also dominating second-chance opportunities (11 points on 10 offensive rebounds).

Second Half​

Bamisile opened the scoring with a backdoor cut layup, then drained a three off a Shulga assist, scoring the Rams’ first five points of the half. However, the Bonnies countered with an 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to 43-38 as VCU endured a four-minute scoring drought. Jennings’ third triple of the game snapped the slump, giving the Rams a much-needed boost.

Despite early struggles getting to the line, VCU’s first free throws came at the 12:14 mark, when Clark was fouled on a fast break. He knocked down both, pushing the lead back to 48-38, while the Bonnies had already taken 12 free throws by that point.

St. Bonaventure made one last push, trimming the margin to 51-45, but VCU responded with Clark’s third triple, followed by Shulga’s first points of the night on a pump fake and finish under the rim. Moments later, Michael Belle’s steal led to a Zeb Jackson fast-break dunk, extending the Rams' advantage to 58-45, their largest lead of the game.

VCU controlled the final minutes, sealing the victory with late free throws and a Jack Clark fast-break dunk with under a minute left.

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By the Numbers​

• Turnovers & Points Off: VCU forced 13 turnovers, scoring 21 points off them (Bonnies: 6).
• Rebounding & Second-Chance Points: VCU +4 on the glass (40-36), matching St. Bonaventure with 16 second-chance points.
• Assist Differential: St. Bonaventure held a slight edge in assists, 8-7, as VCU’s scoring came heavily from individual plays and free throws.
• Bench Points: VCU’s depth dominated, 30-5 in bench scoring.
• Shooting Percentages:
  • VCU: 42.6% FG (29-68), 28.1% 3PT (9-32), 90% FT (9-10)
  • St. Bonaventure: 36.4% FG (20-55), 21.1% 3PT (4-19), 75% FT (15-20)

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Up Next​

With the win, VCU advances to the Atlantic 10 semifinals against the winner of Loyola-Chicago vs. Saint Louis. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM ET tomorrow on CBS Sports Network.