Drew Thompson, Sports Editor
North Show Showcase
Women’s basketball vs. University of Colorado
VCU lost 69-58 in the North Show Showcase to Colorado in O’ahu, Hawaii. The Rams struggled to find footing against the Buffaloes, with only a late attempt of a comeback bringing the lead to 11. Second-year forward Katrina Kneževic shined despite the loss, scoring 20 points and grabbing four rebounds. Colorado dominated VCU on the boards and took 12 more shots during the game, leading to a comfortable win.
Women’s basketball vs. University of Texas Arlington
The Rams emphatically lost 61-39 to the Mavericks in their final game at the North Show Showcase. VCU struggled offensively all game, shooting only 25% from the field and averaging less than 10 points a quarter in its lowest scoring game of the season. This also marks the Rams third straight double-digit loss. Redshirt fourth-year guard Ty Williams led VCU in scoring 11 points and shooting 50% from three.
Battle 4 Atlantis
Men’s basketball vs. University of South Florida
VCU snatched a 78-66 win over USF in the opening match of the annual Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas. Third-year forward Lazar Djokovic scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Fourth-year forward Barry Evans also notched his first double-double as a Ram with 10 points and 10 rebounds. A combination of a stout inside game with suffocating defense paved the way for a VCU victory.
Men’s basketball vs. No. 24 Vanderbilt University
VCU took its worst loss of the season at the hands of No. 24 Vanderbilt in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals. Vanderbilt made over half of its shots throughout the game to comfortably win 89-74, while VCU only sank 7 out of 29 three point attempts. The Rams cut the lead to six in the second half, but a quick 7-0 run from the Commodores put the game firmly out of reach.
Men’s basketball vs. Virginia Tech
VCU routed in-state opponent Virginia Tech in a 86-68 win for third place in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. scorched the Hokies for a career-high 21 points, making five threes and only missing one shot all game. Evans joined in on the dominant win, filling up the stat sheet with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Virginia Tech clawed back in the second half before a VCU aput the nail in the coffin, ending the comeback.