Box Score Final Score: VCU 61, Missouri State 51
Location: Richmond, Va. (Stuart C. Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 8-2, Missouri State 6-6
Attendance: 7,637 (142nd consecutive sellout)
The Short Story: VCU's nationally ranked defense continued to bring the havoc Sunday night as the Rams forced 26 turnovers on the way to their second straight win.
OPENING TIP
- Senior forward Mike'L Simms stepped up throughout the game, knocking down pivotal 3-pointers to keep VCU in front. He scored a team high 11 points and connected on 3-of-6 from behind the arc
- Senior guard De'Riante Jenkins tied his season-high with six rebounds for the Rams. He also contributed ten points and three steals
- Sophomore guard Keshawn Curry played a season high 22-minutes off the bench for the Black and Gold. He dropped nine points and grabbed four rebounds
- Missouri State forward Isiaih Mosley led all Bears scorers with 15 points. Tulio Da Silva hauled in a game-high ten rebounds for MSU
THE DIFFERENCE
- VCU forced 26 turnovers, including 16 in the first half, and outscored the Bears 20-6 off turnovers. The Rams turned the ball over just three times in the first half
- The Rams shot 6-of-13 (.462) from behind the arc in the first half on the way to a 10-point lead
- The Bears used their size grabbing 42 rebounds and scoring 24 points in the paint, but their 26 turnovers was the difference maker
- VCU shot 14-of-20 (.700) from the charity stripe while limiting the Bears to just four attempts the entire game
- VCU led wire-to-wire in the contest and opened up the game on a 7-0 run after Simms drilled an early three. Santos-Silva and Jenkins each contributed two points on that early run
NOTABLES
- VCU has forced 25 or more turnovers three times in 10 games this season
- The Rams led by as many as 14 points
- VCU has won 19 straight home contests dating back to last season
NEXT UP
VCU will kick off a two-game road swing on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Charleston. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
