Box Score Score: VCU 84, St. Bonaventure 76
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 15-5 (7-0 A-10), St. Bonaventure 12-6 (4-3)
Attendance: 7,637 (78th consecutive sellout)
The Short Story: JeQuan Lewis provided 26 points and seven assists, and VCU rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit to win its 10th straight game, 84-76 over St. Bonaventure Sunday. VCU improved to 7-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
THE DIFFERENCE
- Sophomore Justin Tillman ignited a decisive 13-3 VCU run with a traditional three-point play at the 8:31 mark. The Rams trailed 60-54 at that point, but took the lead for good, at 66-63, on a long 3-pointer by senior Melvin Johnson with 5:02 remaining.
- The Bonnies pulled within 71-67 with 2:52 remaining, but the Rams scored the next nine points, including four by Tillman, to secure the win.
- VCU trailed 34-33 at the half and was on the wrong side of a 50-41 deficit after Marcus Posley scored St. Bonaventure's first 16 second-half points. But VCU kept chipping away. Back-to-back layups by Jonathan Williams and Lewis, as well a Tillman jumper helped reel the Rams within 52-50 with 10:33 showing on the clock
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Lewis did not record a turnover for VCU, which coughed the ball up just eight times all day, and hit 8-of-15 tries from the floor. He was also 8-of-9 from the free throw line.
- Johnson scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Tillman continued his torrid recent play with 17 points and seven rebounds. He was 7-of-9 from the field.
- VCU shot .448 (30-of-67) from the field on the day, including .500 (18-of-36) in the second half.
- Posley led all scorers with 30 points. Dion Wright booked a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds for St. Bonaventure.
NOTABLE
- VCU has overcome deficits of nine or more points in the second half three times during its 10-game win streak.
- Lewis has handed out 15 assists and turned the ball over just once in his last two games.
- In his last five games, Tillman is shooting .816 (31-of-38) from the floor and is averaging 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds.
- Johnson moved past Bernard Harris and into 16th place on VCU's all-time scoring list.
- Sunday's game was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed a day after winter storm Jonas blanketed Richmond with more than a foot of snow.
WHAT'S NEXT
- VCU will head to Davidson on Friday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. at Belk Arena. That game will be televised by ESPN2.
