Rams’ march to madness: VCU wins Atlantic 10 Tournament

Thailon Wilson, Sports Editor

The Rams are headed back to March Madness after coming into the Atlantic 10 tournament as the No.1 seed. VCU faced off against inner-state rivals George Mason University in the championship bout and beat them 68-63 to hoist up the Atlantic 10 trophy.

VCU vs. St. Bonaventure

The black and gold defeated St. Bonaventure University 76-59 on March 14.

VCU head coach Ryan Odom said he knew this game was going to be a hard fought battle regardless of if the opponent was Duquesne University or St. Bonaventure.  

“Both of those teams are coached extremely well and are playing good basketball at the end of the year,” Odom said. 

The Rams started the game with a three-pointer made by graduate student guard Phillip Russell. 

The Bonnies and the Rams traded baskets until VCU first-year guard Brandon Jennings went on a personal 6-0 run with two three-points to give the Rams a 22-15 lead at the eight-minute mark. 

Jennings had a career-high 12 points and three blocks in the game against SBU. 

“To be able to produce on the court as a freshman, I’m just blessed and glad to do it with the teammates I have beside me,” Jennings said. 

The Rams held a 36-26 lead going into halftime. 

The Bonnies started to trade buckets with VCU in the second half, but VCU graduate student forward Jack Clark scored nine of his 17 points at key moments to maintain a lead for the Rams.

Clark contributes his team-high scoring performance to many practice shots he takes during and after practice to prepare for games.

Despite the Bonnies aggressive offense, VCU held onto the lead and won the game 76-59 at the final buzzer.

VCU vs. Loyola Chicago

VCU beat Loyola University Chicago 62-55 in a close matchup on March 15.

The Ramblers took the initial lead with a three pointer made by third-year guard Jayden Dawson. 

The black and gold retaliated instantly with a layup made by Russell. LUC and VCU traded baskets back and forth throughout the first half, until the Rams started to play heavy man defense. 

The Rams held the Ramblers to 31.3% from the field in the first half, while VCU shot 50% from the field,  according to StatBroadcast. 

The black and gold ended the half making five out of their last seven, helping the Rams go into halftime with a 36-27 lead.

The momentum for the Rams did not last in the second half since VCU shot two out of 10 shots to start the half, according to StatBroadcast. 

The Ramblers were able to take a 51-50 lead halfway through the second half after third-year guard Kymany Houinsou made a second-chance layup.

The Ramblers outrebounded VCU by 10 total rebounds, according to StatBroadcast.

“This was just a rock fight,” Odom said. “On both sides, we were physical and they were physical.”

VCU graduate student guards Zeb Jackson and Max Shulga took the lead back after  back-to-back paint touches. 

Shulga led the Rams in scoring with 14 points and tacked on 10 rebounds as well. 

“I’m just trying to impact the game, just everywhere and in any way I can,” Shulga said. “Just to put myself, or everybody else in a position for us to win.”

VCU third-year forward Christian Fermin hit back-to-back hook shots to increase the lead to 58-51 with one minute remaining. 

The Ramblers drew up plays to try and come back but the Rams held onto a 62-55 lead at the final buzzer.

VCU vs George Mason

The black and gold beat George Mason University 68-63 and secured a spot in the NCAA March Madness tournament on March 16. 

This is the third year the Rams have made it to the finals of the Atlantic 10. After last year’s loss, this win was important for the team, according to Odom. 

“This game for us started a year ago with the work these guys put in from that moment to now,” Odom said. “I couldn’t be more proud of these young men.”

VCU either tied or kept the lead for the entire game, but GMU kept it close for the majority of the contest. 

VCU graduate student guard Phillip Russell scored the first six points for the Rams to give them a 6-2 lead at the 18-minute mark in the first half.

GMU scored back-to-back baskets to tie the game up at six for each team. VCU continued to take the lead back but could never leave the Patriots behind. 

VCU graduate student forward Jack Clark broke the tied game curse by scoring four straight free throws to give the Rams a 28-24 lead with three minutes remaining in the half. 

Clark was named the Atlantic 10’s Most Outstanding Player award after averaging 13 points and six rebounds per game.

“I give all the credit to my teammates and my coaches,” Clark said. “They always instilled confidence in me throughout the year, whether I was shooting bad or shooting good.”

The Rams used this momentum to take a 36-28 lead going into halftime after a putback buzzer beater layup by VCU graduate student guard Max Shulga. Shulga and Clark were both named to the Atlantic 10 All Tournament Team. 

Despite going into the half with an eight-point lead, the Rams and Patriots continued the dogfight that they had in the first half. 

GMU went on a 7-0 run which reduced VCU’s lead to 45-43 with 12 minutes remaining in the championship.

Shulga hit a three-pointer which gave the Rams a five-point lead and eliminated the Patriots’ momentum.

The Patriots continued to fight but at the final whistle, the Rams were the team to cut down the nets.

The Rams will face off against the Brigham Young University Cougars at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.