ST. LOUIS - Jordair Jett scored 16 points, including 12 straight during a key stretch in the second half, and Saint Louis took over first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 76-62 dismantling of No. 24 VCU in front of a Billiken Blue Out crowd of 10,027 Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena.

Saint Louis - the first team outside the top 25 to receive votes in the Associated Press and USA Today coaches' polls - made a strong case to enter the national rankings with its eighth straight victory, the longest active streak in the A-10. The win was the Billikens' third over a ranked opponent this season (New Mexico, Butler), giving SLU three victories over ranked foes in a season for the second time in program history (1993-94).

Also, the victory gave Saint Louis (20-5, 9-2 A-10) consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time since the 1993-94 and 1994-95 teams each won 23.

Each of the last seven wins for the Billikens has come by a double-digit margin.

VCU, which saw a five-game winning streak come to an end, fell to 21-6, 9-3. The Rams would have been held to their lowest point total in conference play this season had it not been for Melvin Johnson's 3-pointer with just a couple of ticks left on the clock.

It was, however, VCU's largest margin of defeat this year. The Rams' previous worst defeat was an 86-74 overtime loss at Richmond. Also, a smothering Saint Louis defense held VCU 16 points shy of its 78.1 season scoring average.

Jett's team-high scoring total came on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor, including a 3-pointer, and a 3-of-4 effort from the foul line. It was his second consecutive 16-point output.

Mike McCall Jr. was 8-of-8 from the charity stripe and tallied 15 points. McCall Jr. established a career best for free throws made and tied his career high for attempts. He added a game-high three steals to equal his season high.

Dwayne Evans was 5-of-6 from the field and totaled 14 points while grabbing eight rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Cody Ellis and Jake Barnett netted 10 and eight points, respectively.

The Billikens shot 55.3 percent from the floor while limiting VCU to 44.4 percent. SLU committed just eight turnovers - the Billikens' ninth single-digit total this season - against a vaunted Rams' defense that came in allowing an average of just under 63 points.

VCU's Juvonte Reddic scored a game-high 19 points, but several came after the matter was already decided. Reddic collected a game-high 12 rebounds, including seven offensive boards. Treveon Graham added 11 points and 10 rebounds, Johnson scored 10 points and Darius Theus recorded a game-high five assists.

After trailing by 23 at the 4:26 mark of the first half, VCU made a small dent in the Saint Louis advantage. The Rams scored on their last five and six of their last seven possessions of the opening period and trailed 38-21 at intermission.

VCU carried the offensive rhythm into the second half, scoring on their first five and eight of their first nine possessions. When Troy Daniels and Graham buried back-to-back 3-pointers, the Saint Louis lead was down to 45-34.

That's when Jett took over. The junior guard scored SLU's next 12 points, including a three-point play and a 3-point basket, to boost the lead to 57-40.

Jett's scoring flurry was roughly half of a 23-8 spurt that created the Billikens' largest lead of the game, 68-42, with 5:58 remaining. VCU tallied six of its eight points on three straight possessions early in that stretch, then was held scoreless on nine of 10 trips to the offensive end.

The Billikens couldn't have scripted a better start to the game, scoring on their first five possessions.

Evans hit a jump hook and drove the lane for a layup, and Grandy Glaze made a layup for a 6-4 SLU lead. McCall Jr. sank two free throws, and Rob Loe's 3-pointer from the right wing gave the Bills an 11-6 advantage.

Rob Brandenberg drove for a bucket to cut the margin to three before the Billikens embarked on a 21-1 outburst.

Barnett's trey from the left wing ignited the run, and he nailed another triple from the same area following two McCall Jr. free throws.

Ellis took a turn from the perimeter with a 3-pointer from the left corner. Kwamain Mitchell drove for a bucket, Evans made two free throws, and McCall Jr. connected on a runner that gave the Bills their first 20-point cushion, 28-8.

After VCU broke a nine-possession scoreless streak with a free throw, Mitchell and Barnett finished the Billiken run with drives to the hoop, and it was 32-9 Saint Louis.