The VCU Rams (13-4; 3-1)continued their dominance at the Siegel Center, extending their perfect home record to 9-0 with a crucial win over Saint Louis, 78-62. The victory not only kept VCU undefeated at home this season but also moved them into a tie for first place in the A-10 alongside George Mason and Saint Louis.
First Half: Battle of the Boards
VCU edged out a slim 47-42 lead at halftime despite Saint Louis shooting a blistering 61% from the field and 57% from three. The Rams were able to overcome this with a 19-10 rebounding advantage, which translated into a remarkable 17 second-chance points.- Joe Bamisile was red-hot, leading all scorers with 17 first-half points, including 4-of-5 from deep.
- The Billikens stayed in the game with 16 free-throw attempts, connecting on 12, while VCU managed just three attempts, hitting two.
Second Half: VCU Locks In
Coming out of the break, the Rams clamped down defensively and opened with a dominant 14-2 run, highlighted by two triples from Brandon Jennings.- Jennings scored a career-high 10 points to go with 6 rebounds in just 14 minutes of play, providing a critical spark off the bench.
- Bamisile finished the game with 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-9 from downtown, and added 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Key Stats
- VCU outrebounded Saint Louis 38-26, with Jennings leading the way with 6 rebounds.
- Second-chance points were a decisive factor, with the Rams holding a 19-7 edge.
- Overall, VCU shot 41.7% from the field (30-of-72) but struggled from deep, connecting on just 30.3% (10-of-33).
- Max Shulga and Jack Clark were the only other rams to break into double-digit scoring. Shulga contributed 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Clark added 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.
