As the top seed in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, VCU (26-6, 15-3) received an automatic two-round bye. There, the Rams faced eighth-seeded Saint Bonaventure (22-11, 9-9) in a mid-day matchup and cruised to a 76-59 victory to advance to the semifinals.
VCU started the game with a 3 from a returning graduate guard Phillip Russell, who missed the season finale against Dayton due to an injury.
“He’s just a competitor,” VCU coach Ryan Odom said. “Whatever you need him to do, he’s going to do.”
Saint Bonaventure and VCU remained evenly matched for the opening minutes with neither team gaining an edge offensively.
The Rams’ poor shooting from Dayton seemingly carried over into Friday’s game, as the opening five minutes saw VCU shooting 33% from the field and only 20% from 3.
Little separated the two teams before VCU freshman Brandon Jennings began to make his mark on the game.
VCU’s Jennings hit two 3s in quick succession halfway through the first before following it up with a block on the opposing end.
“It feels great just to be able to produce on the court as a freshman,” Jennings said. “I’m just blessed and glad to do it with the teammates I have.”
Jennings’ two 3s kickstarted an 8-0 run that the Rams quickly followed up with a 7-0 run to end the half up 10.
Despite their lackluster shooting numbers, the Rams led at halftime, 36-26. VCU shot 41% from the field and 29% from 3, while Saint Bonaventure shot 36% overall and 29% from 3. VCU graduate forward Jack Clark led the team in scoring (8) and rebounds (5). Rams graduate guard and A-10 Player of the Year Max Shulga had a team-high four assists.
The Rams came into the second half hot, with graduate guard Joe Bamisile scoring five straight points to open the Rams’ tally.
The Rams ran into a wall offensively, however.
Saint Bonaventure went on an 8-0 run, holding VCU scoreless for five minutes and bringing the game to within five.
However, VCU’s Jennings disrupted the Bonnies’ momentum, grabbing a defensive rebound before racing down the court and hitting his third 3 of the game.
“He was tremendous today,” Odom said. “We know what he does, he helps you win.”
Both teams once again found themselves trading buckets with VCU maintaining its slight lead.
The Rams began to pull away with eight minutes to play on the back of a lightning-fast one-minute 7-0 run and putting VCU up 15.
VCU did not allow Saint Bonaventure to regain any footing, keeping the lead in double digits for the remainder of the game to seal the win.
The Rams’ shooting increased partially in the second, finishing the game 43% from the field and 28% from 3. Jennings finished with a career-high in points and blocks, tallying 12 points and three blocks. Shulga ended with 11 assists, and VCU sophomore Michael Belle had a team-high 10 rebounds.
VCU largely won this game thanks to its bench contributions, outscoring Saint Bonaventure’s bench 30-5.
The Rams will play in the semifinals against Loyola Chicago at 1 p.m. ET Saturday at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
