VCU Athletics-Men's Basketball

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH SUFFERS FIRST LOSS OF THE SEASON AT THE HANDS OF TULANE
11-30-99
Virginia Commonwealth, which had played two games in four days, ran into a Tulane team that had not competed in over a week on Tuesday night at the ALLTEL Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The Rams' weariness showed as they were defeated by a final score of 85-44, marking their first loss of the young season.

Sophomore forward Reggie Okosa (Claymont, Del.) led Virginia Commonwealth with 10 points. It was the second time in as many games that Okosa had reached double figures, as he scored 13 points against Colorado in the Rams' last outing, the first back-to-back double figure scoring games of his career. Freshman center Matt Treadwell (Annapolis, Md.) was a bright spot off of the bench for the Rams, as he pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Tulane's Ledaryl Billingsley registered a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, both game highs.

The Green Wave led the entire game, jumping out quickly to an 8-0 lead at the start of the first half. Tulane had built a 13-point lead at the 14:38 mark when the Rams made a run to cut the lead back to single digits. Two free throws by forward Shawn Hampton (Baltimore, Md.) brought Virginia Commonwealth within eight points, 22-14, before Tulane made a 20-5 run that gave the Green Wave a 42-19 halftime lead.

Tulane would continue to build its lead in the second half, as it got several close looks at the basket. Of the Green Wave's 18 field goals in the final period, 13 of them came from within 12 feet of the basket. The Rams continued to struggle shooting the ball and would finish the game hitting just 16-of-57 (28.1 percent) from the field.

The loss drops Virginia Commonwealth to 3-1, but it is still the Rams' best start since the 1995-96 season. Tulane improves to 4-1. The game was the last of four home games to open the season for Virginia Commonwealth, as the Rams now hit the road for three straight, starting with a game at Texas A&M on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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