Box Score Score: VCU 76, Davidson 54
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barclays Center)
Records: VCU 24-9, Davidson 20-12
The short story: Senior Korey Billbury scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half and VCU shot 48 percent on the way to a convincing Atlantic 10 Conference semifinal win over Davidson at Barclays Center. With the victory, the Rams, the defending champions, advance to their fourth consecutive A-10 Championship Game and their sixth straight conference title contest overall. The Rams advance to face fourth-seeded Saint Joseph's Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
THE DIFFERENCE
- VCU, which never trailed, used an 8-1 burst midway through the first half, punctuated by a JeQuan Lewis 3-pointer and a Mo Alie-Cox traditional 3-point play, to assume command at 22-11 with 8:03 left in the half.
- Davidson drew within five a short time later, but Melvin Johnson scored seven straight points in the waning moments of the first half to push the Rams back in front 35-22.
- The second half got ugly for Davidson quickly. Lewis buried a pair of threes and Mo Alie-Cox slammed home a monster alley-oop dunk to highlight a decisive 18-3 blitz that pushed the Black and Gold ahead 59-33 with 13:42 left. The game was never in doubt again.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- For the second straight meeting, VCU put the clamps on A-10 leading scorer Jack Gibbs. Using a variety of defenders, the Rams forced Gibbs into a 2-of-13 shooting night, including 0-of-4 from three. Davidson was 5-of-23 from beyond the arc as a team.
- Three Rams scored in double figures. In addition to Billbury, Alie-Cox provided 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Lewis chipped in 11 points and three assists. Johnson, playing on a sprained left ankle, scored nine points in 20 minutes of work.
- VCU controlled the glass 38-32 and committed just six turnovers. The Rams were also fueled by 10-of-25 shooting from 3-point range.
- Brian Sullivan led Davidson with 15 points.
NOTABLES
- Sunday's game will be a rematch of the 2014 A-10 Championship Game. Saint Joseph's won that contest 65-61.
- VCU is just the third school to reach the A-10 final in four consecutive seasons. The Rams join UMass (1992-96) and Temple (1993-96) in that exclusive club.
- The Rams are attempting to become the seventh team in program history to win both a share of a conference regular season and tournament titles. VCU previously accomplished that feat in 1981 and 1985 in the Sun Belt and 1996, 2004, 2007 and 2009 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
- VCU defeated Saint Joseph's 85-82 on Jan. 5 in Philadelphia in the only meeting between these two teams this season.
UP NEXT
- The Rams eye their 10th conference tournament title in school history Sunday when they take on the Hawks at 12:30. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.
