Home VCU rallies from early 15-point deficit, defeats Loyola Chicago, 89-75
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VCU rallies from early 15-point deficit, defeats Loyola Chicago, 89-75

Chris Graham
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Man, a home loss to a Quad 4 team, that would have been disaster for VCU, which trailed Loyola Chicago – NET: 319 – by 15 midway through the first half.

It was 24-9 ten minutes in; the Rams went on to win by a final score that you would have expected going into this one, 89-75.

In fact, from nine points in the opening 10 minutes, VCU (16-6, 8-2 A-10, NET: 52) fought back to tie the game at 46-46 by the halftime break, making 11 of their next 14 shots from the field – going 6-of-9 from three during that stretch.

The D was the key in the second half: Loyola Chicago (5-18, 1-9 A-10, NET: 319) shot 11-of-29 from the floor with seven turnovers in the final 20 minutes.

Terrence Hill Jr. scored a career-high 24 points (6-of-12 FG, 5-of-9 3FG, 7-of-7 FT) off the bench for the Rams.

NCAA Tournament resume


Quad 1: 0-5
Quad 2: 
4-1
Quad3/4: 
12-0

Key

Quad 1: Home (1-30), Neutral (1-50), Away (1-75)
Quad 2: Home (31-75), Neutral (51-100), Away (76-135)

Metrics


  • KPI: 45
  • ELO: 48
  • KenPom: 48
  • RPI: 49
  • BPI: 50
  • NET: 52
  • SOR: 59
  • BartTorvik: 70

Average: 51.4
NCAA Tournament seed projection: close …

Key remaining games


  • Quad 2: @Richmond (13-9, 3-6 A-10, NET: 124), Feb. 14
  • Quad 2: George Washington (13-8, 4-4 A-10, NET: 70), Feb. 17
  • Quad 1: @Saint Louis (21-1, 9-0 A-10, NET: 18), Feb. 20
  • Quad 2: George Mason (19-2, 7-1 A-10, NET: 67), March 3
  • Quad 2: @Dayton (14-8, 5-4 A-10, NET: 92), March 6

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].