PITTSBURGH — Led by 20 points from Terrence Hill Jr. and 14 more from Michael Belle, both coming off the bench, the VCU Rams outlasted Duquesne 71-66 in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Ten tournament at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
The Rams led by ten at the half, overcoming an early six point deficit thanks to their defense limiting the Dukes to just 39% shooting from the floor.
"They (Duquesne) gave us everything we could handle," said VCU head coach Phil Martelli Jr. after the win. "It's March. Games are going to be like this."
Lazar Djokovic added 13 points for VCU, the only starter to reach double figures. Former St. Christopher's standout Brandon Jennings had 7 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals in the win.
Duquesne was led by Alex Williams, who had 20, and Jimmie Williams who chipped in 13. The Dukes stayed within 7 points of VCU for the entire second half, but were never able to regain the lead.
"We stayed focused whenever they would make a run," Hill added. "We just kept our poise."
"One of our keys was to keep up our intensity," Belle said. "In tournaments like these, those plays come up big and really matter."
Duquesne shot 48% from the floor in the second half and outrebounded VCU 33-29. But they couldn't hit the shots they needed down the stretch and made a key turnover late that helped seal VCU's win.
"It's March, you've got to find a way," Martelli said. "Our last three games have been tournament level games. You test yourself and you figure it out."
VCU now advances to the A-10 semifinals for the fifth time in the last six years, looking to repeat last year's tournament title.
CBS 6 provides Central Virginia with the most experienced local TV sports coverage in town. Count on Lane Casadonte and Sean Robertson for the most in-depth local sports coverage.
