Bamisile’s 23 Points & Key Runs Propel Rams Past Billikens in Atlantic 10 Showdown

(Richmond, VA) The VCU Rams won their third consecutive game on Tuesday night, defeating the Saint Louis Billikens 78-62. Joe Bamisile led the Rams with 23 points, while Isaiah Swope paced the Billikens with 18 points. The Rams' defense was a key factor, holding the Billikens to 32% shooting overall and a mere 20% in the second half. Additionally, they limited Atlantic 10’s top scorer, Gibson Jimerson, to just 11 points.

In the opening minute, Robbie Avila hit a three-pointer to give the Billikens a 3-0 lead with 19:32 remaining in the first half. However, the lead lasted only 22 seconds as Jack Clark responded with a three-pointer to tie the game. The Rams then extended their lead, fueled by a strong start from Phillip Russell, who capped an 8-0 run with another three-pointer, making it 8-3 with 18:12 left in the half. Joe Bamisile added a highlight play with a four-point conversion, stretching the Rams' advantage to 17-7 with 14:23 on the clock.

The Billikens battled back, with Isaiah Swope’s three-pointer trimming the Rams’ lead to 21-17. However, Bamisile’s layup with 6:20 remaining in the half restored momentum for VCU, giving them a 36-24 advantage—their largest lead of the half. The Rams headed into halftime with a 47-42 lead.

The second half began with Jimerson’s layup, cutting the Rams’ lead to three points at 47-44. VCU quickly responded as Jack Clark drained a three-pointer to cap a 7-0 run, extending the lead to 54-44 with 15:02 remaining. The Rams maintained their dominance, with Brandon Jennings (who scored a career-high 10 points) electrifying the crowd with back-to-back three-pointers. Max Shulga added a layup, and Joe Bamisile punctuated a 10-0 run with a thunderous dunk, pushing the lead to 66-51 with 10:17 left.

Michael Belle’s layup with 8:00 remaining gave the Rams their largest lead of the night at 70-53. From there, VCU comfortably controlled the game, sealing a convincing 78-62 victory.

The Rams, now 13-4 overall and 3-1 in Atlantic 10 play, will travel to Philadelphia to face Saint Joseph’s on Friday, January 17th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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