RICHMOND, VA (October 26, 2019)- The Virginia State University men's basketball team tipped off the season with a high intensity  game against the Rams of Virginia Commonwealth University at the Siegal Center.

"Playing a ranked team and playing in this atmosphere will definitely prepare us for games down the road," said Coach Blow.

This is the first time that the Trojans and the Rams faced off for men's basketball.

First Half
Despite the Rams securing the first basket of the half, sophomore Antwan Miles took a shot from behind the arc to give VSU a 3-2 lead. The Rams would then take a 5-0 run before senior Andrew Corum drove in with a layup to bring the score up 7-5 in favor of VCU. Corum would return to the paint for a 2-point shot before VCU extended their lead with an 11-0 run.

Senior Walter Williams brought the Trojans up into a double digit score with 2 good shots at the line, for a score of 23-11, in favor of VCU.

As the half tickled away, free throws allowed the Trojans to add to their score, alongside a 3-pointer by Jarron Santos.

Going into halftime, VSU trailed with a score of 38-19, but had an 87.5 to 70.0 free throw percentage over the VCU Rams.

Second Half
The Trojans returned to the court in the 2^nd half with a better handle on the matchup, but the Rams had already shifted their game into another gear. Shots in the paint allowed VSU to secure 34 points in the half. The amount of Trojan turnovers counteracted their shooting efforts in their attempts to close the scoring gap.

At the end of regulation, the score ruled in favor of VCU 90-53.

Leaders
Andrew Corum led the way for the Trojans with 14 points, followed by Antwan Miles with 10 points. Walter Williams made his return to the court with 8 rebounds after sitting out with an injury last season.

Up Next
The Trojans will open the regular season on November 8-9 at the PSAC v. CIAA Conference Challenge hosted by Shippensburg University.

Stay Connected
For the most up-to-date information on VSU men's basketball, please visit www.govsutrojans.com, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports and on Instagram VSUtrojans_1882.