Atlantic 10 Tournament Semifinals
Score: #2 VCU 77, #3 Saint Joseph's 64
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. (PPG Paints Arena)
Records: VCU 26-7, Saint Joseph's 22-11
 
The short story: VCU led Saint Joseph's 7-6 early in the first half when freshman guard Nyk Lewis hit a 3-pointer to spark a 24-3 run to take a 31-9 lead with 8:43 left before halftime. VCU held a double-digit lead through the second half to advance to the A-10 Championship.
 
OPENING TIP

• Sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr. shot a blistering 8-of-10 from the field and scored a game-high 18 points
• Redshirt senior guard Jadrian Tracey scored 15 points, his third game in double figures in his last five. He went 6-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-7 from 3-point range
• VCU junior forward Lazar Djokovic was the third Ram in double figures with 13 points, while sophomore guard Brandon Jennings chipped in seven points, six rebounds and four assists
• Austin Williford led Saint Joseph's had 17 points

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU led Saint Joseph's 7-6 with 16:21 left in the first half before the Rams went on a 24-3 run capped by a Hill layup to make it 31-9
• The Rams led by double digits the remainder of the game with Saint Joseph's coming no closer than a 15-point deficit until a dunk with eight seconds remaining      
• VCU shot 45.3 percent (29-of-64) from the field in the game and 78.6 percent from the free throw line (11of-14)
• The Rams had a 12-6 advantage in points off turnovers and a 31-10 edge in bench points

NOTABLE

• VCU is seeking back-to-back Atlantic 10 Championships for the first time since joining the league in 2012-13
• The Rams have met Dayton twice in the A-10 Championship, in 2015 and in 2023
• VCU is playing in its fourth straight A-10 Championship game and its 10th A-10 title game overall

NEXT UP
VCU will face Dayton at 1 p.m. on CBS on Sunday, March 15.