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Virginia Commonwealth University

#LetsGoVCU
Fats Billups vs. Penn State
74
Penn St. PSU 4-3,0-0 Big Ten
86
Winner VCU VCU 4-3,0-0 Atlantic 10
Penn St. PSU
4-3,0-0 Big Ten
74
Final
86
VCU VCU
4-3,0-0 Atlantic 10
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Penn St. PSU 40 34 74
VCU VCU 46 40 86

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

BILLUPS, JACKSON FUEL VCU AS RAMS RACE PAST PENN STATE 86-74

ESPN Events Invitational
Score: VCU 86, Penn State 74
Location: Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (State Farm Fieldhouse)
Records: VCU 4-3, Penn State 4-3
 
The short story: Redshirt freshman Fats Billups III exploded for 14 of his career-high 23 points in the second half to spark VCU's victory over Penn State in the final day of the ESPN Events Invitational.
 
OPENING TIP
  • Billups buried 8-of-9 attempts from the floor, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range in 27 minutes of action. He also blocked a pair of shots
  • Senior guard Zeb Jackson also scored a career-high with 22 points Sunday for the Black and Gold on 8-of-18 shooting. He added seven rebounds, six assists and a steal
  • Senior guard Max Shulga supplied 19 points and six rebounds for VCU. Shulga converted all 10 of his free throw attempts
  • Former Ram Ace Baldwin Jr. led Penn State with 27 points
THE DIFFERENCE
  • Billups nailed all four of his 3-point attempts in the second half, including triples on back-to-back possessions to give VCU a 72-64 lead with 5:49 remaining. He scored on a layup a short time later, and by the time he connected on his fourth trey of the period at the 3:53 mark, the Rams had pushed their lead to 80-66
  • VCU shot .538 (28-of-52) from the field in the game, including 8-of-15 from 3-point range. The Rams also connected on 22-of-28 free throw attempts
  • The Rams shot .620 (16-of-26) in the first half on the way to a 46-40 lead
  • The Black and Gold limited Penn State to 5-of-17 shooting from 3-point range
  • VCU owned a 36-29 rebounding advantage
NOTABLE
  • VCU was facing its former head coach in Penn State's Mike Rhoades. The Rams are 17-10 when facing former head coaches since 2008
  • The Rams led for 34:06 of Sunday's contest
  • The game featured 10 ties and eight lead changes
  • The Rams played Sunday's game without redshirt sophomore Jason Nelson, who sustained a wrist sprain in VCU's game with Boise State on Friday. Nelson averages 8.5 points per game
NEXT UP
VCU will return home to face Norfolk State on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
 
 
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