The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team faced a challenging match against VCU, resulting in a 66-47 defeat at the Siegel Center. This marked the first encounter between the two programs. With this loss, Penn's record fell to 3-7, while VCU improved to 8-2, having been picked as the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Ethan Roberts stood out for Penn, leading the team in scoring for the sixth time this season with 14 points. Nick Spinoso contributed 12 points and led in rebounds and assists with seven and five respectively. Michael Zanoni added six points and four rebounds.
VCU's Joe Bamisile delivered an impressive performance with a double-double, scoring 23 points and securing 11 rebounds. Max Shulga added 14 points, while Jack Clark grabbed ten boards. The Rams dominated on rebounds with a margin of 45-29 and outperformed Penn in second-chance points by a significant margin of 20-3.
The game began with Spinoso scoring for Penn on their first possession, but they experienced a six-minute scoreless stretch that allowed VCU to take an early lead. Despite recovering to tie the game at 21-21 midway through the first half, Penn struggled to maintain momentum. A late first-half surge by VCU resulted in a halftime lead of 36-25.
In the second half, VCU extended their lead further before Roberts ended another scoring drought for Penn. However, Penn was unable to close the gap significantly after that point.
Penn will now focus on fall-term exams before returning to action against Rider on December 20 at The Palestra.
For updates on Penn men's basketball, fans can follow @PennMBB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram or visit PennAthletics.com.
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