RICHMOND, Va. – Ryan Odom's message to his team was simple.  
 
"It's on us. Nobody else can do this for us. Nobody else can help us play our best game in the Siegel Center. We have to go out and do it," said Odom, VCU's first-year head coach.
 
Message heard, loud and clear.
 
On Friday night, in VCU's 85-61 dressing down of Saint Louis, the Rams won their third straight and built on a recent streak of fortitude, as well as a desire to return to a defensive brand of basketball familiar in these parts.
 
Of late, it feels a little like Havoc is back on Broad Street.
 
"We want to make it miserable for people to come in here and play us," said Odom. "And defense is a big part of that."
 
"I think its super 'lit' here," said senior guard Joe Bamisile. "I've never been to a school with a band like what we have here and it's special to see how musical the game can be. And with the crowd staying in the game throughout, we have energy feed off of all game."
 
Defense is about setting a tone, and springy VCU sophomore forward Tobi Lawal did just that in the opening half, blocking three shots in just 10 minutes of action. On the final play of the period, Lawal called on his otherworldly vertical leap and sent a message when he loudly jettisoned a layup attempt by Saint Louis' Terrance Hargrove Jr. into the stands.
 
Lawal punctuated the moment with a finger wag, a la Dikembe Mutumbo, to send the Siegel Center fans and VCU's bench into a frenzy as the first-half horn sounded.
 
"It's great having a rim protector like Tobi [Lawal]," said senior guard Max Shulga.
 
"On that final play of the first half Tobi turned a layup into a blocked shot to give us momentum heading into the break," added graduate wing Sean Bairstow. "It gave us so much energy heading into the locker room and it carried into the second half."
 
The second half saw more of the same as the Rams put the finishing touches on a dominant defensive effort. VCU eventually held the Billikens to season lows in both points (61) and field goals (20). Saint Louis shot just 36 percent (20-of-56) in the game, including 4-of-20 from 3-point range.
 
The Rams also did a top-notch job of shutting down Saint Louis' top scorer, Gibson Jimerson, holding him to just two points on 1-of-3 shooting from the field. With Shulga doing the heavy lifting on Jimerson.
 
"I've seen it before, that type of defense effort from Max," said Odom. "When Max is focused on defense and accepts the challenge, he can guard some of the best players in the conference."
 
"The plan was to be on him and chase him off everything, which I felt myself and my teammates did a great job of," said Shulga.
 
It's a vast improvement from just two weeks ago, when the Rams were reeling from back-to-back subpar defensive efforts in consecutive losses to St. Bonaventure and George Washington.
 
Defense has been the difference-maker in VCU's three-game win streak. Friday's 85-61 victory, combined with a 54-50 win over George Mason and a 71-65 triumph at La Salle means the Rams have been holding their opponents to an average of 58.7 points per game over the past three contests. VCU opponents are shooting just 35 percent from the field during that stretch, including 17 percent (10-of-58) from 3-point range.
 
As VCU rolls into the thick of Atlantic 10 play, the Rams are riding a three-game win streak, fueled by a renewed dedication to defense. The Black and Gold are playing with an edge, and are showing that Havoc still lives in Richmond.