This time, the No. 25 VCU Rams didn't need any last-second heroics to beat the Saint Louis Billikens.
This time, the Rams' pressure defense stifled SLU all night and the Billikens fell 74-54 Tuesday night in Richmond, Virginia. The loss gave SLU its third four-game losing streak in its past 14 games, while victorious VCU secured its ninth straight 20-win season.
The Billikens played the Rams to the wire three weeks ago in St. Louis before Treveon Graham's last-second layup lifted VCU to a 63-61 win. In this one, with the Rams holding a double-digit lead the entire second half, Graham was able to rest a sore ankle for the final 8:47 and still lead VCU with 16 points, including its first six of the game.
SLU (10-16, 2-11) will return home for a game Sunday afternoon against La Salle, which won in double overtime last Saturday at VCU.
3-POINTERS
• Billikens' bright spot. A few games ago, SLU coach Jim Crews said he had to talk to Milik Yarbrough about playing with energy all the time. The freshman forward must have gotten the message.
At least on offense, he came out playing hard and effectively. Yarbrough scored SLU's first three baskets and assisted on the fourth. He reached double figures before 10 minutes had been played and would go on to score a game-high 17 points on eight-of-13 shooting.
He was the Billikens' only player to score in double figures.
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• Game-turning drought. With Yarbrough leading the way, the Billikens overcame an early eight-point deficit with a 10-0 run. At the 10:25 mark in the first half, Yarbrough completed a three-point play that put SLU up 17-14. That would be the last time the Billikens led.
The next time the Billikens even scored, only 2:48 remained in the first half and VCU had built a 10-point lead. The Billikens missed seven of their final eight shots of the first half and trailed 34-22 at the intermission. VCU opened the second-half scoring with a Melvin Johnson 3-pointer and SLU didn't come closer than 13 points the rest of the game.
• Reynolds gets his first start. A 21-point game Saturday at Rhode Island earned freshman Miles Reynolds a start for the first time in his young career. He became the 12th player -- the final one on scholarship -- to start this season for Crews. Ash Yacoubou leads the Billikens with 25 starts in their 26 games, followed by freshman Davell Roby, with 24.
Reynolds didn't enjoy as much success against the VCU Rams as he did against the Rhody Rams. He committed a turnover on his first possession, was pushed around inside and made only two of five shots. Reynolds, however, did make an impact at the free-throw line by hitting five of six. In his past two games, he has made 18 of 21 free throws.
You can follow Stan McNeal on Twitter at @StanMcNeal or email him at stanmcneal@gmail.com.
