Score: VCU 71, Duquesne 62
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. (UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse)
Records: VCU 25-5 (15-2 Atlantic 10), Duquesne 13-17 (8-9)
 
The short story: Graduate guard Max Shulga supplied a game-high 22 points to spark VCU past Duquesne Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, Pa. The victory, VCU's ninth straight, earns the Rams a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title, as well as the No. 1 overall seed in the league's upcoming championship tournament.
 
OPENING TIP

• Shulga needed just nine shots to record his eighth 20-point effort of the season. He knocked down 5-of-9 attempts from the floor, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range. He also converted 9-of-11 at the line and added four rebounds, three steals and a block
• Graduate guard Zeb Jackson came off the bench to provide 16 points, four rebounds and two steals for the Black and Gold. He knocked down 3-of-6 from beyond the arc
• Graduate guard Joe Bamisile added 12 points for the Rams, while graduate forward Jack Clark kicked in seven points and hauled in a career-high 14 rebounds
• Maximus Edwards led the Dukes with 20 points 

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU shot 47 percent (14-of-30) from the field, including 4-of-10 from long range, on the way to a 37-29 halftime lead
• The Rams' defense forced 15 turnovers and held Duquesne to 41 percent (21-of-51) shooting. The Dukes were just 4-of-16 from the 3-point arc
• The Rams owned a 38-33 advantage on the glass and corralled 14 offensive rebounds
• Bamisile connected on a pair of buckets and Clark buried a 3-pointer during a 15-7 VCU burst that provided the Rams with a 37-27 cushion with 55 seconds left in the first half
• The Rams expanded their lead to as many as 14 points early in the second half, only to watch the Dukes trim the margin to 46-42 with 14:46 left on eight straight points by Edwards. But VCU held firm and later pushed its advantage to 59-47 with 5:31 remaining on a layup and a 3-pointer by Jackson 

NOTABLE

• VCU improved to 15-2 in A-10 play and clinched a share of the league's regular season championship for the fourth time since joining the conference in 2012-13. The Rams shared the title in 2016 and claimed outright regular season crowns in 2019 and 2023. VCU can win the championship outright with a win over Dayton Friday or a loss by George Mason
• The Black and Gold tied its program record for regular season victories with 25
• The Rams snapped a three-game losing streak to Duquesne and improved to 9-4 all-time against the Dukes
• Shulga moved within 17 points of 1,000 in two seasons at VCU

NEXT UP
VCU will host Dayton on Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m. in the regular season finale for both teams. That contest will air nationally on ESPN2.