Jenny Allen, Staff Writer
While many students returned home for winter break, the Rams did not rest. Practices, games, tournaments and hard work continued for VCU Athletics.
Atlantic 10 Volleyball Tournament at the Siegel Center
As the A-10 volleyball season came to an end, VCU entered the A-10 tournament for the first time since the 2020 season with a 16-13 record.
The fourth-seed Rams faced off against No. 5 George Mason University in the first round and took a 3-1 victory, giving them momentum as they entered the semifinals.
After the hard-fought win against GMU, VCU faced off against No.1 Dayton University. Over three sets, the Rams stunned the top-seed Flyers with their teamwork and individual skills.
VCU’s victory prevented Dayton from reaching the A-10 Championship match for the first time since 2013.
The five-set championship match against Loyola University Chicago put an unfortunate end to the Rams’ season. The back-and-forth match ended with a total of 46 ties and 23 lead changes.
Women’s basketball conference play
Conference play began on the road at Saint Joseph’s University — ending with an unfortunate 10-point loss, 45-55.
The losing then continued at home when GMU came in strong to beat VCU 68-58.
The 0-2 conference record only brought encouragement to the Rams as they took on Saint Louis University and defeated them 50-39.
The momentum continued, giving VCU a 2-2 record as they ended on top against Duquesne University 61-54.
Sticking together as a team, the Rams continue to take on the conference games. VCU’s fourth-year guard Mary-Anna Asare dropped almost half of the team’s points against Saint Joseph’s, with a game high of 20 points.
Despite the loss against GMU, the Rams matched their best single-quarter this season with 30 points in the fourth quarter. They also went on a 17-0 run against Saint Louis.
An unfortunate injury to Asare against Duquesne will cause her to miss the remainder of the season, requiring the rest of the Black and Gold to step up and match her ability to score.
Men’s basketball conference play
The conference opener was a successful one for the Rams as their teamwork and individual skills shined in a 89-82 win over Saint Bonaventure University.
The win began their 2-0 conference streak after they defeated Duquesne, 93-80, on the road.
Despite the strong start to conference play, a tough loss against Saint Louis made them 2-1. The Rams then traveled to George Mason, where they made their record 2-2 after a 86-80 loss.
Even after two consecutive losses, VCU players had proven themselves. Second-year guard Brandon Jennings scored all of his career-high 20 points in the second half only against Saint Bonaventure.
Third-year forward Lazar Djokovic also tallied his first double-double in a VCU uniform, helping the Rams to their victory against Duquesne.
In the very next game, Djokovic racked up his fourth career double-double against Saint Louis. The second-year guard led the Rams this game with 17 points and a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. Djokovic contented to prove himself as he dropped a game-high of 23 points against George Mason.
As a team, VCU has scored at least 80 points in five straight games for the first time since the 1975-76 season.