This post was written by Hatchet reporter Mark Eisenhauer.

Here’s a look back at the week’s biggest highlights in Atlantic 10 men’s basketball:

Mighty Minutemen fall, twice

No. 21 UMass was upset in both of its conference matchups this week, being defeated by both Saint Bonaventure and Saint Joseph’s.

After being handed their first loss in over a month by the Richmond Spiders last week, the Minutemen seemed to return to form by crushing Fordham by 38 just a few days later.

But just as it looked like they were bouncing back, the rest of the A-10 had other ideas. Holding UMass star guard Chaz Williams to only 11 points and forcing 17 turnovers, the Bonnies took down the Minutemen 78-65. The loss seemed to stick in their head as the Hawks jumped out to a 16-point lead Saturday. But after making five clutch fouls shots in the last thirty seconds, Saint Joseph’s would hold on for the win.

This subpar week has brought UMass to a 4-3 conference record – dropping them to fifth in the A-10 rankings and likely out of the Top 25 completely. if they truly want to be contenders this year, a quick return to form is more than necessary.

George Mason nearly upsets St. Louis

Entering Saturday’s game with a 7-13 overall record and not a single conference win, GMU seemed to pose almost no threat to a powerhouse No. 19 Saint Louis team. Even more, the Bilikens were undefeated at home in conference play and had accrued an impressive 19-2 overall record.

But much to the chagrin of fans at Chaifetz Arena, the Patriots gave the home team a run for its money. GMU led the game by seven on three separate occasions and with 4:12 to play held a five-point lead. After some tense final minutes, Saint Louis hit a three with 44 seconds left to grab momentum and send the game to overtime.

The Bilikens would pull away in the extra period to win their 14th straight game – tying a school record – while the Patriots would fall to 0-7 in conference play. Not even Bryon Allen’s career-high 30 points could help this struggling Mason team, who will not likely get out of the A-10 basement anytime soon.

VCU wreaks Havoc

After being defeated by the Colonials on Jan. 14th, the Rams responded in a big way, winning five straight to re-solidify themselves as a powerful contender in the A-10. Now 6-1 in conference play and 18-4 overall, VCU holds a commanding second-place standing in the A-10, as well as a No. 28 ranking in the RPI and BPI.

This week, they took down both Fordham and local-rival Richmond with relative ease. Despite allowing a staggering 31 points to Richmond’s Kendall Anthony, head coach Shaka Smart has his “Havoc” defense back on track. Senior Juvonte Reddic and junior Treveon Graham make VCU a serious contender in both the A-10 and the NCAA tournament if they were to get a bid. Keep VCU on your radar in the coming weeks, as some AP Poll votes are definitely headed their way.