Score: #18 Saint Louis 88, VCU 75
Location: St. Louis, Mo. (Chaifetz Arena)
Records: VCU 21-7 (12-3 Atlantic 10), Saint Louis 25-2 (13-1)
 
The short story: Junor forward Lazar Djokovic supplied a game-high 19 points, but it wasn't enough for VCU to hold off a furious second-half rally by 18^th-ranked Saint Louis Friday night at Chaifetz Arena.
 
OPENING TIP

• Djokovic connected on 6-of-13 attempts from the floor, as well as 5-of-7 at the free throw line. He added seven rebounds and two blocks
• VCU sophomore Brandon Jennings provided 18 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists to the Rams' cause
• Freshman guard Nyk Lewis chipped in nine points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Black and Gold
• Kellen Thames led five Billikens in double figures with 16 points

THE DIFFERENCE

• The game was a tale of two halves. VCU led 42-33 at the break, but missed its first 13 three-point attempts of the second half, and shot 23 percent (7-of-31) overall from the floor in the period, as Saint Louis mounted its comeback. The Billikens shot 58 percent (21-of-36) in the second half, including 7-of-12 from beyond the arc
• VCU took its last lead at 59-57 on a layup by Jennings with 10:06 remaining. From there, the Billikens used a 13-0 run over the next three minutes that included 3-pointers by Robbie Avila and Ishan Sharma to take a 70-59 lead with 7:23 left. The Rams wouldn't seriously threaten again
• VCU opened the game with an 11-0 run, including 3-pointers by Jennings, senior forward Barry Evans and Djokovic. The Rams shot 8-of-15 from three overall in the first half on the way to a nine-point halftime advantage
• The Rams were hurt by 16 turnovers, and the Black and Gold shot 33 percent (21-of-64) from the field in the game

NOTABLE

• VCU leads the all-time series against Saint Louis 17-8
• The Rams saw their 10-game win streak snapped Friday
• Djokovic moved into ninth place on VCU's single-season list for free throws made. He has connected on 133 attempts at the charity stripe this season

NEXT UP
VCU will host Fordham at the Stuart C. Siegel Center on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 12:30 p.m. That contest will air on USA.