Saint Louis Rallies to Stun VCU in 59-56 Comeback Victory

Richmond, VA – The VCU Rams suffered a heartbreaking 59-56 loss to the Saint Louis Billikens on Thursday afternoon, surrendering a 16-point lead in the third quarter. Despite dominating the boards with a 41-33 rebounding advantage—led by Mykel Parham’s 16 rebounds—VCU struggled with costly turnovers (16) and inefficient shooting (32.7% from the field), allowing Saint Louis to stay within striking distance.

The Rams were led by Grace Hutson and Mary-Anna Asare, who each scored 17 points. However, they could not close the game as the Billikens capitalized on their late-game momentum. Brooklyn Gray led Saint Louis with 14 points, including the game-sealing free throws in the final moments.

VCU opened the game on an 8-0 run, fueled by a pair of three-pointers from Grace Hutson. A layup by Hutson extended the Rams' lead to 15-8 with 4:03 left in the first quarter. Mary-Anna Asare later connected from beyond the arc, giving VCU its largest lead of the quarter at 20-10 with 1:45 remaining. The Rams finished the period ahead 22-14 and maintained control in the second quarter, heading into halftime with a 33-24 advantage.

The Rams carried their momentum into the second half, stretching their lead to 40-24 with 7:58 left in the third quarter—their largest of the game. However, their offense stalled, as Valentina Ojeda’s three-pointer at 4:02 was their last field goal of the quarter. Saint Louis took full advantage, ending the period on a 10-0 run, capped by Shun’Teria Anumele’s buzzer-beating three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 46-43.

The Billikens continued their surge in the fourth quarter. After a pair of free throws from Mykel Parham briefly extended VCU’s lead, Saint Louis responded with a 6-0 run, highlighted by a layup from Hannah Wallace to give the Billikens a 49-48 lead with 6:01 remaining. VCU regained control momentarily as Jennifer Ezeh hit free throws and a layup, putting the Rams ahead 55-52 with 1:53 left.

Saint Louis answered quickly. Brooklyn Gray’s layup cut the deficit to one, and Tierra Simon’s basket with 32 seconds remaining gave the Billikens a 57-55 lead. Gray then sank two clutch free throws to secure the 59-56 victory for Saint Louis. With the loss, VCU falls to 10-15 overall and 4-9 in A-10 play. The Rams will look to bounce back as they head to New York to face Fordham on Sunday, February 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.