No. 20 Butler vs. VCU final score: Rams rout Bulldogs, 84-52

Troy Daniels scored 20 points, including 14 in the decisive first half, as the VCU Rams cruised to an 84-52 victory over the No. 20 Butler Bulldogs on Saturday at the Stuart Siegel Center in Richmond, Va.

With the Rams up by seven points early in the first half, Daniels scored nine straight points, burying two three-pointers and a trio of free throws in a 1:19 span to extend VCU's lead to 22-10. The Rams continued their offensive onslaught, taking a 24-point lead into the break after Treveon Graham's three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer.

Despite owning a commanding lead, VCU didn't stop at the break, embarking on a 13-0 run in the latter part of the second half to take a 31-point advantage with less than six minutes remaining.

VCU's "Havoc" defense, which is first in the nation in steals and forced turnovers per game, turned Butler over 22 times and contributed to the Bulldogs' worst loss under head coach Brad Stevens.

Graham, Juvonte Reddic and Briante Weber finished in double-digits in scoring along with Daniels for VCU (23-6, 11-3 A-10). Roosevelt Jones led Butler (22-7, 9-5 A-10) with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

With the win, VCU remains in second place in the Atlantic 10 standings, sitting a half-game behind the No. 18 St. Louis Billikens, who face George Washington at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

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