Fats Billups III exploded for 14 of his career-high 23 points in the second half to spark VCU’s 86-74 victory over Penn State in the final day of the ESPN Events Invitational.
Billups buried 8-of-9 attempts from the floor, including 5-of-6 from three-point range, in 27 minutes of action.
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 (4-3) with 27 points.
Billups nailed all four of his three-point attempts in the second half, including triples on back-to-back possessions to give VCU (4-3) 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 was facing its former head coach in Penn State’s Mike Rhoades. The Rams are 17-10 when facing former head coaches since 2008.
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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Chris Graham
