VCU was crowned the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament champions after a grueling slugfest against rival George Mason in a 68-63 win that encapsulated its amazing season and secured its spot as an automatic qualifier in the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” VCU graduate guard Max Shulga said. “We talked about this all year. This was our goal the whole year long.”
VCU graduate guard Phillip Russell started the Rams tally with a quick mid-range jumper on the opening drive. VCU did not give up the lead following this basket.
Russell set the tone for the Rams on the following possession, hitting a 3 through contact and converting the and-one.
George Mason kept right on VCU’s heels, not allowing the Rams to pull ahead.
VCU began to dry up offensively before VCU graduate forward Jack Clark finished a transition layup through contact and went to the free-throw line, a familiar sight for both teams as the game progressed.
George Mason senior forward Jalen Haynes hit a big 3 with 12 minutes remaining in the first half, disrupting VCU’s momentum.
“He is a go-to player for them, and he is really tough to defend, and our guys just had to do their best one-on-one,” VCU coach Ryan Odom said.
VCU graduate guard Zeb Jackson responded with a 3 of his own before George Mason junior guard Brayden O’Connor answered with a 3 halfway through the first.
VCU’s Shulga disrupted a three-minute scoring drought and a 5-0 George Mason run with a smooth finish near the rim before VCU graduate guard Joe Bamisile tacked on a 3 to give VCU its own 5-0 run.
Following this, however, both teams struggled to make any field goals for the remainder of the first half. George Mason and VCU scored almost primarily from the free-throw line in the final six minutes of the first.
Both teams combined for 16 free throws in this span, with George Mason finishing the half only making one of its final 14 field goals.
VCU had its largest lead at half, 36-28. Clark quickly made his mark on the game, leading in points (13) and blocks (3), while freshman Luke Bamgboye grabbed six rebounds and added two blocks.
O’Connor led George Mason with seven points and one assist. He tried sparking the Patriots’ offense, only shooting 30% from the field in the first.
O’Connor opened the second with an immediate 3 before the Patriots shriveled up again, only making two of their opening 12 shots.
Bamisile single-handedly took advantage of George Mason’s struggling offense by going six straight points, highlighted by back-to-back layups through contact and converted and-ones to extend VCU’s lead to nine.
However, George Mason immediately stormed back, embarking on a quick 7-0 run thanks to sloppy VCU turnovers.
VCU answered George Mason’s run with a run of its own, with Shulga and Clark combining to spark an 8-0 run with 10 minutes to play.
The Patriots followed this by scoring seven straight points, cutting the deficit to three with five minutes left.
The Patriots pulled within one before Shulga drained a 3 to extend VCU’s lead.
George Mason ended the game, hitting four consecutive shots before the potential game-tying 3 clanked off the rim in the final seconds.
Bamisile sealed the victory for VCU, making two free throws with about one second left to give the Rams their third conference tournament championship.
VCU’s Clark received the tournament’s most outstanding player, and he and Shulga made the all-tournament team.
“I give all the credit to my teammates and my coaches,” Clark said. “Whether I was shooting bad or shooting well, they always told me ‘keep shooting.’”
Shulga led VCU with 18 points, while Clark and Bamisile both contributed 17. Clark and Bamgboye lead the charge defensively, combining for 14 rebounds and seven blocks.
VCU will play its next game in the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed against six-seed BYU at 4:05 ET Thursday at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
