Battle 4 Atlantis – Semifinals
Score: #24 Vanderbilt 89, VCU 74
Location: Nassau, Bahamas (Imperial Arena)
Records: VCU 4-3, Vanderbilt 7-0
 
The short story: Freshman guard Nyk Lewis supplied 16 points to lead three Rams in double figures, but it wasn't enough to slow down high-powered and 24^th-ranked Vanderbilt Thursday afternoon in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
 
OPENING TIP

• Lewis converted 6-of-8 attempts at the free throw line and added a pair of assists for the Black and Gold
• Senior guard Jadrian Tracey added 15 points for VCU, while junior forward Michael Belle kicked in seven points and six rebounds off the bench for the Rams
• VCU junior forward Lazar Djokovic provided 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 from the line
• Vanderbilt's Duke Miles led all players with 20 points. He was 10-of-11 at the charity stripe 

THE DIFFERENCE

• The Commodores entered the day as one of the most efficient offenses in the country and did little to dent that reputation. Vanderbilt shot 53 percent (27-of-51) from the field, including 50 percent (11-of-22) from 3-point range. VCU shot 36 percent (20-of-56) from the floor, including 24 percent (7-of-29) from beyond the arc
• Vandy also owned a 43-29 rebounding advantage
• The Commodores shot 61 percent (14-of-23) in the second half. A step-back 3-pointer by Lewis, followed by a Belle floater pushed VCU within 60-54 with 12:08 remaining, but Vanderbilt's Tyler Nickel buried a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer on the next possession to kick off a 7-0 burst that pushed the margin out to 13
• In the first half, Nickel drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to ignite a 20-2 Vanderbilt run that gave the Commodores a 20-4 advantage at the 13:22 mark. But VCU chipped away. By halftime, a Tracey traditional three-point play and a Belle tip-in had pulled the Rams within 43-41 at intermission

NEXT UP
VCU will return to action against the loser of Thursday's Virginia Tech/St. Mary's (Calif.) contest at 10:30 a.m. on Friday. That game will air nationally on ESPN2.