Photos & Game Summary: Rams Coast to a Third Win in a Row

Official VCU Game Summary

Score: VCU 85, Saint Louis 61
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 11-7 (3-2 Atlantic 10), Saint Louis 8-10 (1-4)
Attendance: 7,637 (sellout)

The short story: VCU senior guard Joe Bamisile scored a season-high 29 in just 23 minutes, while the Rams held Saint Louis to a season-low offensive output on the way to their third straight win Friday night at the Siegel Center.

OPENING TIP

• Bamisile buried 7-of-10 from 3-point range and 10-of-13 from the field overall. He also corralled five rebounds and one steal
• Senior guard Max Shulga added 15 points, three assists and four rebounds for VCU, while graduate wing Sean Bairstow turned in a 10-point, six-assist, four-rebound effort
• Redshirt sophomore guard Jason Nelson supplied 13 points and two assists in his first start of the season for the Black and Gold
• Sincere Parker led all the Billikens with 21 points for Saint Louis

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU allowed just three field goals during their 15-5 first half run and took away three steals to go into the half up ten, 36-26
• The second half saw Saint Louis cut it to seven early, but the Rams responded with a 12-6 burst on the way to a 50-37 lead midway through the second half, capped off by a Shulga steal and layup
• The Rams continued to pour it on, shooting 53 percent (15-of-28) from the field in the second half, reaching their largest lead of 28 at the 1:44 mark of the second off a Bairstow steal and dunk
• The Rams held the Billikens, who came into the game averaging just under eight made threes per game, to just 4-of-20 shooting from beyond the arc
• Saint Louis shot just 35.7 percent (20-of-56) overall in the game

NOTABLE

• The win is the Rams’ largest margin of victory this year. VCU also handed the Billikens their lowest point total of the year, as well as their fewest field goals (20)
• VCU has won four straight against Saint Louis and improved to 15-5 all-time against the Billikens. The Rams improved to 9-0 at the Siegel Center against Saint Louis

NEXT UP
VCU will remain home and will host Loyola Chicago on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. That game will be televised on CBSSN