VCU Basketball: Rams pull away late to defeat upset-minded Morgan State, 69-54

Brandon Johns Jr. scored a game-high 15 points and converted several critical second-half baskets as VCU pulled away late to defeat Morgan State, 69-54, Saturday night at the Siegel Center.

Johns connected on 6-of-10 from the floor and grabbed four rebounds for the Black and Gold (2-0).

Senior forward David Shriver and redshirt sophomore Jamir Watkins also scored double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Watkins was one rebound away from a double-double as he snagged nine boards

Junior guard Ace Baldwin Jr. had a team-high five assists along with nine points. He also tied a career-high with seven steals

Junior guard Zeb Jackson set a new career-high in points with nine

The Rams held a 28-27 halftime lead, but used a 10-0 run, punctuated by a Baldwin three-pointer, to take a 53-41 lead with 7:42 remaining. The Bears (1-2) closed within seven, at 57-50, but VCU scored seven straight, including a back-breaking three by Shriver from the left wing to push the Black and Gold ahead 64-50 with 3:19 left

VCU shot 50 percent (24-of-48) from the field, compared to Morgan State’s 33.3 percent (21-of-63).

Next up, the Rams hit the road for the Legends Classic tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. They open up tournament play on Wednesday., Nov. 16 at 8:30 p.m. against Pac-12 foe Arizona State. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. and it will be streamed live on ESPN+.