RICHMOND, Va. – A late first half run was the difference in the game as Prairie View A&M dropped a 75-50 decision in its season opener to Virginia Commonwealth in the first leg of the 2KSports Classic.

The Panthers never led in the first half but were neck-and-neck with the Rams through the first six-and-a-half minutes of the half.  Down 10-5 with 13:46 left, VCU went on a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to extend its lead to a 17-7 margin but a layup by Admassu Williams cut the deficit to single digits as they trailed 17-9 with 10:05 left.  However, the Panthers went cold from the field and missed their next four shots and VCU began to heat up as its lead moved to 15 (24-9).  By the time PVAMU regained its offensive rhythm, VCU was well-established as they outscored PVAMU 20-11 over the final 7:10 for a 46-22 halftime lead.

The Rams maintained a 20-point lead for nearly 12 minutes of the second half but the Panthers would fight back as junior guard Tevin Bellinger scored five consecutive points followed by a Karim York basket to cap off a 7-0 run and a 14-point deficit.  Unfortunately, the run would stall as the Panthers missed their next three shots along with two costly turnovers which allowed VCU to pull away en route to the win.

Sophomore Zach Hamilton led the way with 13 points and eight rebounds followed by a 12-point, seven-rebound outing from York.

The Panthers return to Houston on Wednesday night as they'll face the University of Houston at 7 p.m. on the UH campus.