PHILADELPHIA – Xzayvier Brown matched his season-high scoring total, but the Saint Joseph's men's basketball team was upended by the VCU Rams, 79-68 on Friday night.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Brown poured in 22 points, his fifth games this season with 20 or more. He added seven rebounds and five assists.
• Rasheer Fleming notched his seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
• Erik Reynolds II scored 12. Derek Simpson tallied 11, nine of them coming in the second half.
• Justice Ajogbor matched a season-high with four blocks for the second consecutive game and now has multiple rejections in seven straight.
• Saint Joseph's committed a season-low six turnovers.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• St. Joe's jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead on the strength of baskets from Brown, Reynolds II and Fleming. The Rams countered with an 8-0 run before an acrobatic up and under from Fleming, leading to an old-fashioned three-point play that knotted the score at 10-10 at the 13:31 mark.
• With VCU holding a slim 18-17 lead just past the midway point of the frame, the Rams went on a 12-3 run as the Hawks went cold from the floor.
• Brown was personally responsible for the answer. The sophomore scored seven consecutive points and assisted on the next bucket as SJU used a 10-0 run in a matter of just 81 seconds to tie the contest at 30-30 while forcing a VCU timeout with 3:36 to go in the stanza.
• Coming out of the pause, the Rams made a living at the line, connecting on 6-of-7 at the stripe to take a 38-32 edge into intermission.
• Saint Joseph's got the lead down to a pair on a Reynolds II pull-up jumper. VCU answered with a 13-4 run, opening its largest lead of the night.
• Trailing by 10, the Hawks once again battled back. Four free throws plus a triple by Derek Simpson chopped the advantage to 56-53 at the halfway mark of the half. The Rams extended the lead once more and again St. Joe's came back, tying the game at 60-60 on another three by Simpson with 6:21 remaining.
• That was as close as SJU got as the Rams closed out the game on an 18-9 run.

 
UP NEXT
The Hawks head on the road for the first of two games, taking on the Davidson Wildcats on Tuesday, January 21. Tipoff from Belk Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. with the game broadcast on ESPN+.