WASHINGTON — Top-seeded VCU men’s basketball (26-6) is facing off with No. 4 Loyola Chicago (23-10) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Capital One Arena in the Atlantic 10 tournament semifinals.
Times-Dispatch deputy sports editor and VCU Athletics beat writer Zach Joachim will have live, on-site updates here throughout the game.
VCU basketball coach Ryan Odom on Phillip Russell’s return, Brandon Jennings’ impact, maturity after 76-59 win over St. Bonaventure in Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals
St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt says VCU “absolutely” belongs in the NCAA tournament
FINAL SCORE
3:20 p.m.: VCU 62, Loyola Chicago 55
After the Ramblers took a 51-50 lead with five minutes to play, Ryan Odom called a timeout, and the Rams closed on a 12-4 run to advance to Sunday’s Atlantic 10 championship at 1 p.m.
Max Shulga stuffed the stat sheet and paced VCU with 14 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Zeb Jackson (8 points) and Christian Fermin (7 points) hit a number of clutch buckets down the stretch during that decisive run.
Top-seeded VCU will play the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 George Mason and No. 6 Saint Joseph’s.
SECOND HALF
UNDER 4
3:02 p.m.: VCU 54, Loyola Chicago 51
The volume reached a fever pitch, and the pressure mounted down the stretch of the first Atlantic 10 tournament semifinal.
Loyola Chicago took its first lead of the second half at 51-50 after a Kymany Houinsou board and bucket with five minutes to play. That illustrated the key storyline for the Ramblers — Loyola’s 20 offensive rebounds led to 16 second-chance points at that juncture.
But the Rams responded with aplomb after Ryan Odom called a timeout to settle his guys. On the next possession, Zeb Jackson used a jab step at the top of the key to lose his man, drove the lane with authority, and slammed home with two hands for 52-51, sending the VCU fans into bedlam.
Max Shulga followed that up with a baseline drive and finish off glass for 54-51 just before the under-4 stoppage.
UNDER 8
2:50 p.m.: VCU 49, Loyola Chicago 45
The Ramblers continued to chip away at the Rams lead as the second half wore on, and cut the deficit all the way down to two at 47-45 after a Francis Nwaokorie and-1 with 8:17 to go.
Max Shulga’s leaner off glass on the left elbow made it 49-45 just before the under8 stoppage. Des Watson and Sheldon Edwards Jr. paced the Ramblers with nine points apiece. Shulga led VCU with 12 points, and Phillip Russell had 10.
UNDER 12
2:39 p.m.: VCU 42, Loyola Chicago 35
After a Des Watson rebound and put-back cut VCU’s lead to 39-34 just after the under-12 stoppage, a Max Shulga trey at the top of the key flipped the momentum back to the black and gold, and put the Rams ahead 42-34 with 14:40 to play.
Just before the under-12 TO, Rams freshman forward Luke Bamgboye registered his third and fourth blocks of the game to give him 70 on the season and put him in VCU’s all-time top 10 list for blocks in a single season.
UNDER 16
2:27 p.m.: VCU 39, Loyola Chicago 33
A Miles Rubin alley-oop dunk off a Kymany Houinsou lob on the first possession of the second half cut VCU’s lead to 36-29, and began the turn the momentum around as the Ramblers chipped away at the deficit early in the second half.
A Joe Bamisile drive and finish proceeded a Luke Bamgboye free throw for 39-29. But a couple of Jalen Quinn layups made it 39-33 headed into the first media stoppage of the second half.
HALFTIME
2:11 p.m.: VCU 36, Loyola Chicago 27
The Rams took control in the latter stages of the first half on the strength of an 8-0 run that included a Zeb Jackson drive and finish with his off right hand; a pretty hesitation move and drive by Jackson, leading to a dump off and Christian Fermin finish through contact for an and-1; then a Phillip Russell rebound and stop-and-pop trey at the top of the key in transition.
Russell’s 3 gave VCU its largest lead at 35-23 with 1:30 to go until halftime. A Jalen DeLoach free throw, amid boos at the line, and a Sheldon Edwards trey on the right win quelled VCU’s momentum for a moment.
But Russell was fouled immediately after Edwards’ 3 while trying to crash the glass. He took an elbow to the face, and the play was reviewed, but ruled a common foul. Russell hit hit one of the ensuing free throws for 36-27, and that the last scoring before the half.
At the break, Russell led all scorers with 10 points. Max Shulga had seven points, five rebounds and two assists.
Des Watson led the Ramblers with seven points, three rebounds and four assists. Offensive rebounding kept the Ramblers in the game — 12 offensive boards led to eight second-chance points.
VCU led for 14:10, Loyola for 2:50. The Rams shot 50% (13-of-26) from the floor, and 38.5% (5-of-13) from 3-point range.
FIRST HALF
UNDER 4
1:49 p.m.: VCU 26, Loyola Chicago 21
The Rams built their largest lead, and forced a Ramblers timeout headed into the final media stoppage of the first half.
Phillip Russell drained a catch-and-shoot 3 in the left corner off a Zeb Jackson assist for 26-21. A Jack Clark drive and finish from the left wing preceded that Russell trey, and made the score 23-21 after Loyola tied things up at 21 on a Des Watson trey with 5:45 to play until intermission.
UNDER 8
1:41 p.m.: VCU 19, Loyola Chicago 16
VCU put forth an exemplary offensive possession out of the under-12 stoppage, a sequence in which the ball popped around the perimeter, and eventually settled to Phillip Russell on the right wing.
Assisted by Zeb Jackson, Russell nailed the catch-and-shoot 3-ball for 16-12 with 9:45 to play.
But Loyola battled back to knot things up at 16 via a couple Kymany Houinsou rebounds and put-backs. The Ramblers dominated the offensive glass in the early goings, with 10 offensive boards leading to eight second-chance points.
A Max Shulga trey at the top of the key restored VCU’s lead at 19-16 heading into the under-8 stoppage, though the Ramblers were headed to the free throw line out of the break.
UNDER 12
1:29 p.m.: VCU 13, Loyola Chicago 12
Former Ram Jalen DeLoach made a loud entrance to the game with a two-handed jam on his first offensive look to tie things up at 7, then a travel while attempting to back down Christian Fermin in the post on the next possession.
Max Shulga got his man on his hip, drove right and finished off glass for 9-7. Then Shulga got to the same spot on the right elbow, used an up fake to get Ramblers center Miles Rubin in the air, drew a shooting foul, and hit two free throws for 11-7, VCU’s largest lead to that point.
A Sheldon Edwards trey in the right corner made it 11-10, and the Ramblers retook the lead for a moment at 12-11 after a midrange jumper from Des Watson.
But a Zeb Jackson turnaround, fadeaway midrange J at the end of the shot clock restored VCU’s advantage at 13-12 as the game entered the second media stoppage.
UNDER 16
1:19 p.m.: VCU 7, Loyola Chicago 5
The Ramblers led for the first few minutes after Jayden Dawson opened the scoring with a trey on the right wing.
But the Rams got on the board when Max Shulga secured a rebound, and fired a pinpoint outlet pass to Jack Clark running the floor. Clark converted a reverse finish off glass for 3-2.
Then a Miles Rubin board and bucket made it 5-2. But a 5-0 run by Joe Bamisile put the Rams ahead for the first time headed into the first media stoppage.
Bamisile finished over Rubin off glass via a nifty entry pass from Phillip Russell for 5-4. Then the Chesterfield native curled off a screen on the left wing, and sank a catch-and-shoot 3-ball off a Max Shulga assist for 7-5.
PREGAME
– VCU defeated No. 8 St. Bonaventure 76-59 in Friday’s quarterfinal round. Graduate forward / guard Jack Clark paced the Rams with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Freshman guard Brandon Jennings (St. Christopher’s) set career highs with 12 points and three blocks.
– Loyola Chicago defeated No. 5 Saint Louis 72-64 in Friday’s quarterfinal round. Guard Des Watson led the Ramblers with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
– The Rams defeated the Ramblers 84-65 in Chicago at Gentile Arena on Jan. 4, the only meeting between the teams this season.
– Loyola’s frontcourt features former VCU player Jalen DeLoach.
VCU forward Christian Fermin (21) dunks the ball at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
George Mason guard K.D. Johnson (0) looks on as VCU players celebrate in the Rams’ 70-54 victory over the Patriots on Saturday.
Margo Wagner, Times-Dispatch
VCU and GMU tip off for a sold out crowd at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
GMU forward Zach Anderson (10) guards VCU forward Jack Clark (4) at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
From left, Teddy Hurley, Cash Morton, Beckett Morton and Thomas Cohen cheer and waive balloons at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
George Mason’s Zach Anderson and VCU’s Joe Bamisile battle for rebounding position in the Rams’ Atlantic 10 victory. Bamisile hit just three of 11 field goal attempts and scored nine points.
Margo Wagner, TIMES-DISPATCH
VCU head coach Ryan Odom yells at VCU guard Joe Bamisile (22) from the sideline at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
GMU head coach Tony Skinn reacts at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
VCU forward Jack Clark (4) dunks the ball at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
VCU guard Zeb Jackson (2) reacts to dunking the ball at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
VCU’s Max Shulga contends with defensive pressure from George Mason’s Jalen Haynes during the Rams’ victory at the Siegel Center on Saturday in a matchup of the Atlantic 10’s top two teams. Shulga hit four 3-pointers and scored 22 points to lead VCU, which won its sixth straight game to surge into a tie for the conference lead with four games to play in the regular season.
Margo Wagner, TIMES-DISPATCH
The VCU basketball team cheers on the sideline at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
VCU forward Christian Fermin dunks against George Mason at the Siegel Center on Saturday.
Margo Wagner, Times-Dispatch
VCU forward Christian Fermin (21) shoots a layup at the Siegel Center on February 22, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Margo Wagner
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