Coming off a bye week in any sport is never easy. Atlantic 10 teams this season have gone 3-10 in games immediately following a bye. VCU defiantly came out and notched the fourth win in that column with a dominant 80-51 win over UMass at The Stuart C. Siegel Center on Wednesday.
VCU and UMass struggled to get any offense going in the opening minutes, with a three-minute scoring drought from each team.
VCU graduate student guard Max Shulga acted as an early offensive spark for the Rams, hitting three consecutive 3s and helping lead the charge on a 15-0 scoring run that would put VCU firmly in the driver’s seat.
“He can really shoot,” VCU coach Ryan Odom said. “The ball found him tonight, and especially early in the game, and he knocked them home.”
The Rams carried the momentum from the run through the rest of the first, going into halftime with a commanding 24-point lead.
Shulga led VCU in scoring at half with 14, making all four of his 3-pointers. The Rams shot an efficient 53% from the field and 44% from 3. Their defense also stifled UMass, as the Minutemen shot only 29% from the field and 0% from 3 on eight attempts.
VCU’s second half started similarly to its first. After scoring on the first possession, the Rams went nearly four minutes without a made shot before Shulga hit another 3.
The Rams still had trouble finding success shooting, as they only hit two out of their first 13 shots.
UMass appeared to be showing some life before back-to-back 3s from VCU graduate student guard Joe Bamisile and graduate student forward Jack Clark put the nail in the coffin.
VCU began flowing smoothly on both ends once again after the lethargic start. Clark and Bamisile provided the offensive coverage while freshman forward Luke Bamgboye provided on defense.
Bamgboye finished the game with a career-high seven blocks, the most recorded in a VCU game since 2009. Bamgboye currently sits in the top five in the country in blocks per minute and is tied for first in the A-10 for blocks per game.
“He’s big time for us,” Shulga said. “Having a rim protector like that just gives us a lot of confidence.”
VCU continued to roll until the final buzzer with an emphatic 80-51 win. The Rams continued their great shooting from the first half, finishing the game 46% from the field and 48% from 3. Meanwhile the Minutemen ended the game failing to connect on a single 3-pointer, a first for them this season.
VCU’s Clark, Bamisile, and Shulga all scored double-digit points on efficient shooting, and Shulga led the team in assists with seven while having zero turnovers.
This win keeps VCU second in the A-10 (21-5, 11-2) and extends their unbeaten streak at home to 13.
“It’s one of the hardest places in the country to play at,” UMass coach Frank Martin said. “There’s a reason they’ve got one of the best home records in the country over the last 20 years.”
VCU will play their next game at home against first-place George Mason University (21-5, 12-1 A-10) at 4 p.m. ET Saturday.
