The Basics

• Score: #5 Duke 79, VCU 71
• Records: VCU (2-1), Duke (3-1)
• Location: Madison Square Garden – New York, N.Y.
• The Short Story: Senior Melvin Johnson and junior Mo Alie-Cox combined for 35 points as the VCU men's basketball team put up a hard-fought, scrappy effort against fifth-ranked Duke, but fell short, 79-71, in the semifinal round of the 2015 2K Classic.  

• Big man Mo Alie-Cox got the Rams started with back-to-back buckets to help VCU grab a 6-2 lead less than three minutes into the contest.
• After the teams traded baskets, a 3-pointer from Johnson capped off a 9-0 run to give the Black & Gold a 22-15 advantage with 10:30 remaining in the stanza.
• Grayson Allen and the Blue Devils made a run of their own to grab a 33-31 lead with 4:05 left.
• Helped by two buckets from Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed, VCU closed the half on a 8-5 run to take a 39-38 lead into the break.
• Much like the first half, VCU started the stanza with a 6-2 run to open up a 45-40 advantage with 17:43 to play.
• Duke would get within one, but five quick points from the Rams opened up a 52-46 lead with 14:01 remaining.
• The Blue Devils responded with an 8-0 run that was stopped by Hamdy-Mohamed's layup to give VCU a 54-53 lead with 12:04 left.
• Duke got hot from outside to spark a 17-4 run to grab a 70-58 advantage with just over five minutes remaining.
• A dunk from Alie-Cox off a nice dish from Korey Billbury, capped a 8-3 run that brought the Rams within seven at 73-66 with under two to play.
• Duke went on to seal the game at the free-throw line, hitting four from the charity stripe to seal the 79-71 victory.

• VCU will take on Big Ten foe Wisconsin on Sunday, November 22. Tip time is set for 3:30 p.m. and will be on ESPN2.