Score: VCU 81, Rhode Island 57
Location: Kingston, R.I. (Ryan Center)
Records: VCU 15-4 (5-1 Atlantic 10), Rhode Island (14-5 (3-4)
 
The short story: Graduate guard Joe Bamisile led four VCU players in double figures with a game-high 24 points, and the Black and Gold forced 27 turnovers to pull away from Rhode Island Tuesday at the Ryan Center. VCU has won five straight games.
 
OPENING TIP

• Bamisile converted 10-of-18 attempts from the floor and added three rebounds to spark the VCU offense
• Graduate guard Max Shulga added 15 points, three boards and a block for the Black and Gold
• Graduates Jack Clark and Zeb Jackson chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively, to the VCU cause, while freshman forward Luke Bamgboye provided six points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots
• Sebastian Thomas led Rhode Island with 19 points

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU forced 27 turnovers, the most by an A-10 team this season, which led to 30 Black and Gold points
• VCU also held Rhody to 39 percent (19-of-49) shooting in the game, including 30 percent (7-of-30) in the second half
• The Black and Gold's lead was 42-40 with 13:38 remaining, but VCU outscored Rhode Island 39-17 the rest of the way. Shulga buried a 3-pointer and Bamisile connected on back-to-back floaters in the lane to help push VCU's advantage to 55-43 with 10:35 left. A short time later, a Shulga traditional three-point play helped ignite a 15-0 VCU run that pushed the margin into blowout territory at 71-48 with 5:11 on the clock
• VCU built an 18-point first-half lead, but watched as Thomas fueled a 19-2 Rhode Island run that closed the host Rams to within 35-34 with 1:44 remaining in the half. But VCU steadied the ship with a pair of Bamisile free throws and an authoritative drive and slam dunk by Jackson on the last play of the period to take a 40-34 lead into the break

NOTABLE

• VCU's 27 forced turnovers are its most since it forced Manhattan to cough the ball up 27 times on Nov. 7, 2022
• VCU has won five straight against Rhode Island and leads the all-time series 12-11
• Bamisile has topped 20 points eight times this season
• Redshirt sophomore forward Obi Okafor scored his first collegiate points on a pair of free throws with 51 seconds left

NEXT UP
VCU will host St. Bonaventure on Friday, Jan. 24 at 9 p.m. in a nationally televised contest on ESPNU. The Bonnies dealt the Rams their only Atlantic 10 Conference loss this season.