BROOKLYN — Little was known about Max Shulga when he transferred from Utah State, following head coach Ryan Odom to VCU last summer.
But he was selected as a pre-season all Atlantic 10 performer, and after leading all scorers with 25 points in VCU's 66-60 win over St. Joseph's, everyone can see what the fuss was about.
"He's just a baller," said teammate Sean Bairstow, who played with Shulga at Utah State and scored 13 points for the Rams. "Nothing fazes him. He's ready for the moment."
"When your best player is playing with that type of confidence, it gives everybody confidence," Odom added. "He just played the game in a really determined way."
Shulga tied an A-10 tournament record by making 91% (10 of 11) of his shots from the field, one of three players to ever shoot that well in a tournament game. The normally soft spoken native of Ukraine did have to admit he had a pretty good afternoon.
"That was big time," Shulga said with a smile. "I was taking the shots that the defense was giving me and they were thankfully going in. I work on my craft every single day and it was nice to see the hard work pay off."
Zeb Jackson added 12 points for the Rams who built a nine point first half lead, only to see the Hawks erase it with a 13-2 run to close out the first half. St. Joe's led by one at the break with Erik Reynolds leading the way with 18 points and Cameron Brown chipping in 13.
But VCU as a team shot 62% in the second half and led for all but 5 minutes of the game. The teams were tied 12 times with 9 lead changes, but Odom's team made the plays when they counted, and will now play for the A-10 title for the third time in the last four years.
"It's a big game, but you can't play bigger than what the game is," Odom explained about Sunday's championship. "You have to be you. We know we're going to be playing an excellent team."
The Rams will play for their third A-10 title at 1 p.m. Sunday. You can watch the game on WTVR CBS 6.
WATCH: Highlights from VCU's win over Saint Josephs in A-10 semifinals
Highlights from @VCU_Hoops 66-60 win over St. Joe's in the @A10MBB semifinals
— Lane Casadonte (@LaneCtvsports) March 16, 2024
The Rams will face Duquesne for the @atlantic10 championship Sunday at 1pm on @CBS6 pic.twitter.com/JrjweQtem6
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