Score: VCU 79, St. Joseph's 72
Location: Richmond, Va. (Stuart C. Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 13-6 (4-2 Atlantic 10), Saint Joseph's 11-8 (3-3)
Attendance: 7,637 (Sellout)
 
The short story: Junior Michael Belle supplied a career-high 20 points and helped lead a second-half rally as the Rams topped Saint Joseph's Monday afternoon at the Siegel Center.
 
OPENING TIP

• Belle connected on 9-of-11 from the field and 2-of-4 from three. He also recorded a career-high three steals, tied his career best with two blocks, and added five rebounds
• Sophomore guard Brandon Jennings followed with 18 points for the Black and Gold, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range
• VCU sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr. contributed 13 points and dished out a career-high eight assists
• Tyrell Ward chipped in nine points, four rebounds, and hit 4-of-6 from the line in 22 minutes for the Rams
• Saint Joseph's was paced by Derek Simpson, who finished with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc

THE DIFFERENCE

• The Rams trailed by as many as seven points in the second half, at 43-36 with 16:27 remaining, but VCU chipped away over the next six-plus minutes. Belle tied the game at 59-59 with a layup at the 7:43 mark, and Jennings buried a 3-pointer a short time later to push the Rams to a 63-59 advantage with 6:18 left. A Belle layup with 3:42 on the clock extended the margin to 66-61, and Jennings added his fourth triple with 3:09 remaining to keep the Hawks at bay at 69-63
• VCU forced 18 Saint Joseph's turnovers and outscored the Hawks 12-8 in turnover opportunities. The Rams committed 10 turnovers
• The Rams were fueled in part by a 20-12 second-half rebounding advantage. VCU corralled eight offensive boards in the second half and turned them into 13 second-chance points
• The Black and Gold shot 50 percent (15-of-30) in the second half, including 5-of-12 from beyond the arc
• The Rams totaled 17 assists on 27 made field goals
• With Saint Joseph's within three in the final minute, the Rams went a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line over the final 30 seconds to close out the win

NOTABLE

• VCU head coach Phil Martelli Jr. was facing his alma mater Monday
• The game featured nine ties and 11 lead changes, reflecting the back-and-forth nature of the matchup
• Terrence Hill Jr. reached double figures for the ninth straight game
• VCU has won nine straight against Saint Joseph's and leads the all-time series 14-5

NEXT UP
The Rams return to the court this Saturday, Jan. 24, when they travel to Davidson. The contest will be broadcast on USA Network.