RICHMOND, Va. – In the first-ever meeting between these two programs, the University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team dropped a 66-47 decision to VCU on Monday night the Siegel Center.
 
Penn fell to 3-7 with the loss, while the Rams—the preseason pick to win the Atlantic 10 Conference this season—improved to 8-2.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Junior Ethan Roberts led Penn in scoring for the sixth time this season, extending his double-figure streak to five games with 14 points.
 
*Senior Nick Spinoso finished with 12 points and led the Quakers in rebounds (7) and assists (5).
 
*No one else had more than six points after that, junior Michael Zanoni hitting that number as he also grabbed four boards.
 
*VCU got a double-double from Joe Bamisile (23 points, 11 rebounds) while Max Shulga scored 14 points and Jack Clark pulled down 10 boards. The Rams outrebounded Penn, 45-29, and won the second-chance points battle, 20-3.
 
How It Happened
Spinoso scored on Penn's first possession, but the Quakers didn't score again for more than six minutes. VCU took advantage of the drought, the hosts scoring the game's next 14 points to go up by double digits before the game was six minutes old. The Quakers recovered, however, behind the trio of Spinoso, Zanoni and Roberts and when Roberts drilled a three-pointer with 7:17 left this game was tied at 21-21 and the Red and Blue had scored 11 in a row.
 
This was still a two-point game with three minutes left in the half, at 27-25, but VCU took control in those final few minutes with a 9-0 run to go into locker room up 36-25. The run extended into the second half as VCU scored the first five points of the period to extend things to 41-25, before Roberts finally ended the Quakers' skid after more than six minutes bridging the two halves.
 
Penn never really threatened the host Rams after that, getting within 14 just one more time at 43-29. The largest lead came at 22 with about seven minutes left and the teams essentially traded points the rest of the way after that.
 
Up Next
Penn is off for fall-term exams and will return to action on Friday, Dec. 20 when the Quakers host Rider at The Palestra at 6 p.m.
 
For the latest on Penn men's basketball, follow @PennMBB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.