Junior center Nathan Boothe paced UT with 18 points while senior guard Julius Brown contributed 17 points, including a 5-of-7 effort from behind the three-point arc. Senior forward J.D. Weatherspoon also produced a double-double for UT with 11 points and 10 boards.
Senior guard Treveon Graham and junior guard Melvin Johnson each scored 22 points to lead the Rams (2-0), who took control with nine straight points down the stretch to win their 21st straight home game. There were nine ties in the contest and 12 lead changes.
VCU then went in front by four, 55-51, but sophomore center Zach Garber’s three-point play ignited a 10-2 burst that put the Rockets ahead, 61-57, with 12:17 remaining. Junior guard Jordan Burgess’ trey moved the Rams back on top, 62-61, at the 10:31 mark. VCU’s lead didn’t grow higher than three points until Johnson’s trey with 2:31 to play left the Rockets down, 78-72.
Weber, who finished with 18 points, nine steals, eight rebounds and seven assists, played a key role in forcing the Rockets to commit 21 turnovers, including four in the last five minutes.
Toledo shot 50 percent (24-of-48) from the field, 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from three-point range and was 22-of-27 at the charity stripe. VCU posted a 45.8 FG percentage (27-of-59), 36.0 three-point FG percentage (9-of-25) and was 24-of-34 from the free-throw line.
The Rockets will remain on the road this week and head to the West Coast for a matchup against Pac-12 foe Oregon on Friday, Nov. 21. Tip-off time is set for 1 p.m. (ET).
(Courtesy of UT Athletics/MRO Edit)