Atlantic 10 Tournament Quarterfinals
Score: #2 VCU 71, #7 Duquesne 66
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. (PPG Paints Arena)
Records: VCU 25-7, Duquesne 18-15
 
The short story: Sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr. supplied a game-high 20 points, including 11 in the second half, and junior forward Michael Belle provided 14 off the bench as VCU held off Duquesne to reach the Atlantic 10 Semifinals Friday at PPG Paints Arena.
 
OPENING TIP

• Hill knocked down 7-of-14 attempts from the field and also dished out a game-high six assists for the Black and Gold
• Belle made seven of his 10 attempts from the field and also corralled seven rebounds and two steals
• VCU junior forward Lazar Djokovic added 13 points, while sophomore guard Brandon Jennings chipped in seven points, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks
• Alex Williams led the Dukes with 20 points 

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU trailed 26-23 with 4:36 left in the first half, but ratcheted up its defense to spark a 16-3 blitz, punctuated by a long Hill 3-pointer with three seconds remaining, to take a 39-29 lead into halftime
• The Rams never trailed again, but the Dukes did manage to keep things interesting down the stretch. Duquesne pulled within 55-53 on a Jimmie Williams 3-pointer with 6:52 left. But Hill promptly responded with a triple from the right wing. Later, the Dukes trimmed VCU's advantage to 66-64 on a Jimmie Williams layup with 37 seconds left. But Hill drew a foul and hit a free throw, and Belle grabbed a steal on Duquesne's ensuing possession. Freshman guard Nyk Lewis knocked down a pair of free throws to help seal the win
• VCU shot 47 percent (23-of-49) from the field in the game, including 44 percent (7-of-16) from beyond the arc
• The Rams limited Duquesne to 8-of-25 shooting from 3-point range and forced 15 Duquesne turnovers

NOTABLE

• VCU received 34 points from its bench
• Hill has reached 20-plus points six times this season
• VCU improved to 11-4 all-time against Duquesne, including 2-0 this season 

NEXT UP
VCU will face either Saint Joseph's or Davidson in Saturday's semifinals at 3:30 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena. That game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.