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Two weeks after seeming to be a mile away from Virginia Commonwealth, St. Louis University showed that, well, objects in the rearview mirror may be closer than they appear.

SLU met VCU’s physicality with some of its own and, after being clearly second in that department when the teams met in Richmond, went toe to toe with them this time and came away with a 78-69 victory Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena that could be a bellwether for its season. After losing to VCU by 16 points in the first meeting, SLU turned that into a nine-point win.

“I think we learned from that first game the physicality that was needed, the mentality,� said SLU guard Gibson Jimerson, who led the team with 26 points and some effective defense. “I think that was the biggest thing from this game, which is the mindset we had. We knew we had to kind of bring up our game from a physicality standpoint, and we did. We still turned it over a good amount, but like on the boards, we were excellent, and we just weathered the storm. Our defense carried us tonight to this win. And yeah, it was a really fun game.�

Not only fun but the best win for SLU this season as it improved to 13-8 overall and 6-2 in Atlantic 10 play. VCU (16-5, 6-2), which came into the game tied for first in the league, is by far the best team SLU has beaten — SLU was 0-5 against Quad 1 or Quad 2 teams in the NCAA NET rankings — and this was the kind of win SLU is going to need, considering it is expected to have the toughest schedule in the conference. In a week that will say a lot about how SLU’s season is going to go, the Billikens are off to a good start as they await another of the conference’s top teams, Dayton, which was showing signs of getting back on the right track but lost on the road to St. Bonaventure 75-53 on Tuesday.

“This is a big win for us, but we have plenty more,� said guard Kobe Johnson. “So we just have to move this on, get ready for Friday.�

Johnson was one of the players who made the difference between the first meeting and the second. Johnson had 19 points, matching a career high set when he played at West Virginia, and six rebounds. His defense, along with that of Jimerson and Isaiah Swope, were key factors. SLU changed its defensive assignments for the second game, with the net result being VCU going from shooting 41.7% in the first meeting to a season-low 32.8% in the second.

Jimerson was on Max Shulga, who went from making 4 of 10 in the first game to making 2 of 12 in the second. Johnson was on Vashon High grad Phillip Russell, who made 5 of 12 shots, and Swope took VCU’s leading scorer, Joe Bamisile, who had 23 points in the first meeting and finished with 11 on Tuesday.

“I thought our physicality on the ball, our defensive physicality, was awesome,� said SLU coach Josh Schertz.

When the teams met Jan. 14 in Richmond, VCU got 22 offensive rebounds to SLU’s 22 defensive rebounds and turned those offensive rebounds into 19 points. SLU committed 19 turnovers in that game, which VCU converted into 27 points. On Tuesday, VCU had 15 offensive rebounds, while SLU had 33 defensive rebounds. While SLU’s turnover number was still high at 17, VCU got only 14 points off them.

“We relied on our defense, which has been great for us,� said Jimerson, who showed the early signs of snapping out of his recent shooting funk. “We were able to kind of fix that rebounding part from the last game. Offense is going to be offense. Sometimes you make shots, sometimes you don’t — you’re not going to be a very good team if you just kind of hang your hat on that. We were locked in.�

“To beat really good teams,� Schertz said, “you got to find a way to compete, and you got to be incredibly resilient. And I thought every time we got punched, we just kept coming and found a way to get across the finish line. Had a lot of unbelievable individual performances but a great win against an outstanding team, and hopefully this gives our guys a lot of confidence moving forward.�

SLU led early, fell behind, regained the lead early in the second half and then fell behind again. SLU took the lead for good with 8:49 to go when Jimerson drove, scored, and was fouled. His free throw put the Billikens up 52-51. After a missed 3-pointer by VCU, which was 5 for 31 on 3s, SLU freshman Amari McCottry drove to the basket, looking like he was hoping to make a spectacular dunk but soon discovering there were too many VCU players in the way to make that happen. He passed to Swope in the corner, and his 3 put SLU up 55-51.

VCU missed its next seven shots, and by the time it scored again, it was nine points behind. The game was delayed for more than five minutes with 1:10 to play when a series of fights broke out in the stands behind the VCU bench. Multiple people were removed from the stands while the players on both teams, who had been in a timeout, stood around on the court.

SLU was up six at the time, but that was as close as the Rams would get. SLU made 7 of 8 free throws in the final 68 seconds to close out the game.

The game was not an artistic success. SLU center Robbie Avila didn’t score until 4:49 was left in the first half and for the first time this season didn’t take a 3-point shot. Avila finished with 14 points, with eight of them coming from the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds and seven turnovers.

Guard Kellen Thames was in uniform and on the bench but did not appear in the game. Thames has been bothered by cramping all season, which took him from being a starter when the season began to becoming a player who was getting eight to 12 minutes per game off the bench. Thames played just 3:41 in SLU’s previous game, against George Washington. Schertz was cryptic about Thames’ situation after the game.

“He and I had a discussion after the George Washington game and I’m going to keep that conversation confidential, but he and I are totally in lockstep on his situation and the best way to handle it,� Schertz said. “It’s a difficult situation for him, the circumstances are really difficult, and he’ll talk about it when he’s ready to talk about it. ... He’s a part of everything we’re doing.�

SLU investigating fight in stands

St. Louis University has launched an investigation in the wake of a brawl Tuesday night that delayed the game vs. VCU.

With 1:10 to play, the fight involving numerous people erupted a few rows behind the VCU bench. It appeared to involve VCU fans, who were seated behind their team’s bench, and SLU fans behind them.

“SLU is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for fans and guests at all of its events,� a statement read. “The Department of Athletics, the Department of Public Safety, Oak View Group and other campus partners are working together to review safety protocols to ensure a positive experience for patrons and teams at Chaifetz Arena.�

The fight delayed the game for several minutes as arena security guards and the university’s public safety department worked to regain control of the situation.

At least one man appeared to have been bloodied in the altercation, and an emergency medical services worker was seen attending to at least one fan.

“Fans are expected to demonstrate respect toward one another, officials, and team personnel. Inappropriate comments or actions directed at officials, student-athletes, coaches or team representatives will not be tolerated and are grounds for removal from Chaifetz Arena,� the school’s statement read. “Fans are urged to report any issues they witness to Chaifetz Arena personnel so they can be addressed promptly.�

The fracas was also shown on CBS ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Network, which was airing the game, and publicized by numerous national media outlets.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the last three minutes of the game, now there was some help there, take that long,� SLU coach Josh Schertz said after the game in reference to the melee.�