RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — In a game that was tied at halftime, VCU used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from Loyola Chicago for an 89-75 victory in Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball on Friday night at Siegel Center.

A crowd of 7,637 saw the Rams improve to 16-6 overall, while the Ramblers fell to 5-18.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring 10 lead changes and neither team leading by more than six points. Loyola Chicago’s Miles Rubin, a 6-foot-10 sophomore from Chicago, was a force inside, scoring 15 of his team-high 21 points before the break. VCU countered with balanced scoring and a late push, capped by a Tyrell Ward layup off a Terrence Hill assist with six seconds remaining, to send the teams into the locker room knotted at 46-46.

The second half, however, belonged entirely to the Rams. VCU opened the period on a 13-4 run, fueled by its defensive intensity. The Rams forced eight Loyola Chicago turnovers in the final 20 minutes, converting them into 12 points, and held the Ramblers to just 29 points on 34% shooting from the field after the intermission.

The most important stretch of the game came early in the second half. With the score tied at 48, VCU embarked on a 17-6 surge over a five-minute span to take a commanding 65-54 lead. The run was characterized by transition baskets and stifling defense, effectively breaking the game open. Loyola Chicago would get no closer than nine points the rest of the way as VCU continued to execute and extend its advantage.

Terrence Hill, a 6-foot-3 guard from Portland, Oregon, led all scorers with 24 points for VCU. He added five assists and was instrumental in the second-half surge, scoring 14 points after halftime. Hill has now scored in double figures in four consecutive games. Tyrell Ward, from Washington, D.C., contributed 15 points, while Jadrian Tracey of Fort Myers, Florida, added 14. Michael Belle of London, England, provided a spark off the bench with 10 points and three steals.

For Loyola Chicago, Rubin’s 21 points and eight rebounds paced the effort. Xavier Amos, also from Chicago, scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. The Ramblers, however, were undone by 15 total turnovers and an inability to contain VCU’s offensive rhythm after halftime.

VCU shot 50% from the field for the game and outscored Loyola Chicago 43-29 in the second half. The Rams also held a 38-30 advantage in points in the paint.

The victory keeps VCU in the upper tier of the Atlantic 10 standings as it prepares for a road test at Fordham on Tuesday. Loyola Chicago, mired in a season-long struggle, will look to regroup when it hosts La Salle on Tuesday.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, VCU had a 95.60 percent probability to win the game. The Rams entered as 19.5-point favorites, and the total score of 164 surpassed the over/under line of 152.5.