RICHMOND, Va. – The Saint Peter's men's basketball team (1-2) was defeated by the VCU Rams (2-1) by a final score of 61-78 at Stuart C. Siegel Center on Wednesday night. SPU struggled to keep up with the VCU offense as time eventually ran out on the Peacocks.
Brent Bland almost matched his career-high of 27 points that he just previously set vs. FDU, scoring 25 on the Rams. Despite his big night, the Saint Peter's offense was just 31.1 percent (19-for-61) from the field and 25.0 percent (6-for-24) from behind the arc. It was a similar shooting performance by the Peacocks in the Seton Hall game, looking at the numbers.
After trailing by a big margin throughout the game, a made 3-point jumper by Bland brought Saint Peter's within nine points with 6:44 to go in regulation, but it was all VCU down the stretch as the Rams ultimately secured the win at home.
For the Peacocks,
Adetokunbo Bakare and
TJ Robinson were once again in the scoring mix, combining for 17 points.
J'Quan Ewing dropped eight points on 3-for-3 shooting from the field to go along with his five boards and three steals.
Jahki Gupton led the team in rebounds with nine as the team pulled in its most rebounds this season with 34.
Saint Peter's will have almost a full week before its next game, traveling to Delaware to play the Blue Hens on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF: Saint Peter's came out ready to challenge the Rams, trading baskets early and keeping pace through the opening minutes. Bland set the tone offensively, knocking down a jumper and scoring inside to give the Peacocks a brief 6–5 edge, while Robinson added another bucket to keep it close.
Midway through the half, however, VCU began to take control. The Rams' pressure defense forced turnovers that led to transition points, and a pair of 3s from Tyrell Ward helped fuel a run. By the closing minutes of the half, VCU had stretched its lead to double digits, heading into halftime with a 41–27 advantage.
SECOND HALF: VCU carried that momentum into the second half, opening with a quick burst that pushed the margin to nearly 20. The Rams' balanced attack, with Barry Evans and Lazar Djokovic scoring inside, kept Saint Peter's on the defensive.
The Peacocks battled to stay within reach as the game progressed. Bland continued to find his rhythm from deep, and Bakare provided a spark off the bench with a 3-pointer followed by an AND-1 to cut the deficit to 10 midway through the half. Every Saint Peter's push was met by a response from the Rams, whose composure kept the lead in hand. VCU finished strong to seal the 78–61 win.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks travel to Delaware to take on the Blue Hens on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
NOTES
Saint Peter's moves to 0-3 all-time against VCU...Bland has made five or more 3-pointers in back-to-back games…Gupton pulled in a career-high nine rebounds…the Peacocks had 14 second-chance points compared to VCU's four…Saint Peter's shot 89.5 percent (17-for-19) from the free throw line, which is its highest free throw percentage since 100.0 percent (18-for-18) against Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 28, 2023.
