Virginia Commonwealth University took Game 1 of the College Basketball Invitational championship series with a convincing 68-56 victory over the Billikids on Monday night in Richmond. The scene shifts back to St. Louis for Game 2 on Wednesday night at the Chaifetz Arena. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Should the Billikens win the game and tie the series, the third and deciding game will be held on Friday night at the Chaifetz Arena at 7 p.m.

We had a tough time dealing with VCU’s overall depth and athleticism. They employed full-court pressure for much of the game and forced 16 turnovers. What was more damaging to the Bills was that the Rams scored 25 points off of our turnovers.

  It seemed automatic that every time we turned the ball over, they would come down and score in transition.

  We battled on even terms for much of the first half, but the Rams got away with a late run and took a 36-25 halftime lead. The Bills managed to cut the lead to 41-38, but the pressure of VCU took over once again as they went on a 23-6 run to push the lead to 64-44, which was the biggest of the evening.

  The key player in the Rams’ big run was diminutive point guard Joey Rodriguez, who scored 14 consecutive points in the decisive run. The big back-breaker came when he hit a 3-pointer was fouled by Kyle Cassity. He completed the four-point play and the Rams were off and running.

  The 5’10” Rodriguez and 6’11” Larry Sanders dominated the game for VCU. We could not handle either one of them. Rodriguez finished the game with 22 points, six assists and three rebounds. He hit seven of his 12 field goal attempts, including four of five from 3-point land.

  Sanders, who is flirting with the idea of going into the NBA Draft after his junior season, was just as dominant on the inside with 20 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. VCU went inside to Sanders early and often and he scored 10 early points to establish early control in the paint. With Willie Reed in foul trouble for much of the game, Sanders had very little resistence inside.

  For the game, VCU shot 48 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the 3-point line. There is a reason why the Rams are 18-1 at home this season and we saw why up close.

  That’s the bad news. The good news is that we have another game and another chance to redeem ourselves. It’s a rare opportunity that you have in college basketball to face the team that you have just played in a series. The CBI provides that opportunity with its unique best of three format.

  I look forward to a more intense and energetic performance by the Bills on their home court. We have to be a little more aggressive and try to get the ball inside. We shot only one free throw all night and that was because we were a little passive and settled for too many long jumpers early without getting Willie a few early touches.

  I suspect the game plan for both teams will be the same. VCU will try to keep the tempo fast with their pressure and depth while the Bills want the game at a more managable pace. That’s the key for us. We must control the tempo, but we must still score points. We have several good shots in Richmond, but we failed to convert. We must do a better job of making shots when we have them while our attention to detail on defense must be better.

  I’m looking forward to having a energetic crowd at the Chaifetz on Wednesday night. Hopefully, the crowd will be as raucous and enthusiastic as it was during the early rounds of this touruament. We’re going to need it because VCU is a formidable foe to contend with. It would be great if we can pull this one out because I would love to see a winner-take-all game on Friday night.

  Now, that would be fun. But, first things first. You cannot win two unless you win one.

  See you on Wednesday night.

  Go Bills!