VCU beats LSU 85-74 in 5th-place game at Battle 4 Atlantis
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) Justin Tillman scored a season-high 17 points to help VCU beat LSU 85-74 on Friday in the fifth-place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
JeQuan Lewis scored 19 for the Rams (5-1), who shot 58 percent after halftime. VCU pushed a 40-33 halftime lead into a double-digit lead about 5 minutes into the second half and maintained a comfortable margin the rest of the way.
Tillman, a 6-foot-7 junior, had missed two straight games due to a foot injury before coming to the Bahamas. He saw limited work in the opener against No. 20 Baylor, but had 13 rebounds in Thursday's win against St. John's and followed that with a strong scoring day.
VCU also converted 18 turnovers by LSU into 19 points.
Antonio Blakeney and Skylar Mays each scored 14 for the Tigers (4-2), who shot 49 percent but couldn't keep the Rams within reach after halftime.
BIG PICTURE
LSU: This was the second lopsided loss for LSU in three games in Atlantis, going back to a 35-point loss to Wichita State in Wednesday's opener. The Tigers trailed by as many as 19 in this one, while their lone win here came Thursday against Old Dominion.
VCU: The Rams lost their Atlantis opener to No. 20 Baylor - the eventual champion - but bounced back with two straight wins to take some positive momentum back to the state of Virginia.
UP NEXT
LSU: The Tigers return home Tuesday to play Houston.
VCU: The Rams play at home Tuesday against Princeton.
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