One of the best rivalries north of the Carolina’s took place tonight as Richmond and VCU both battled it out to see who the king of the city of Richmond was. This was the 77nd meeting of the cross town and A-10 Conference rivals. VCU was able to pull away late in what was a close battle throughout and got the win 81-74. The game was shown on CBS Sports Network and was sold out.
VCU held a 1 point lead at the half and was able to use their size to score in the paint. Richmond stayed in the game with 3 point shooting and did a nice job of defensive rebounding.
VCU stayed in their matchup zone and pressured for most of the game. Richmond did a nice job of moving the ball but in the end didnt have enough to overcome VCU’s speed and athleticism. VCU was at its best when it sped the game up in the 2nd half and was able to stay in control the last 8 minutes of the game increasing its lead to 11 points at one point with 1:50 left.
Here are a few of the standout players from both sides below. Richmond got all of its contributions from Cline and Jones (combined for 45 of their points) while VCU scoring load was more spread out with 4 players in double digits and 1 with 9 points.
VCU
Justin Tillman,F, 6-7,JR
Great rebounder and efficient 10’ and in. Rebounds it outside his area. Go to move is right hook. One of the best athletes on the team.
Mo Alie-Cox, F, 6-7, SR
Is a man amongst boys and plays hard. Very strong and protects the rim nicely. A big limited offensively but did a nice job of finishing through contact and finished with 13 points tonight.
1-JeQuan Lewis, G, 6-1, SR
Quick and athletic guard who rebounds it well for his size. Can finish at the rim and is a good enough 3 point shooter that you cant leave him open.
Richmond
TJ Cline, 6’9”, F, SR
Fundamental big who can pass, score, and rebound the ball. Knows how to score from different areas and has great footwork in the mid and low post. Came alive in the 2nd half after a slow first half.
Shawndre’ Jones, 6’0”, PG, SR
Best player in the game tonight in my opinion, the SR guard finished with a game high 30 points including 4 made threes. Big time shot maker who is tougher then he looks. Really good ball handler who changes speeds well and can create for himself and others. High basketball IQ.