Virginia Union University's Keleaf Tate scored a game-high 24 points to lead the Panthers to an 88-70 win over arch-rival Virginia State University on Saturday, January 15, in Petersburg, Va.  

The win kept VUU undefeated in CIAA play with a perfect 4-0 record.

Virginia Union's Jordan Peebles and Robert Osborne scored 18 points apiece while Raemaad Wright had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

"We knew coming out of the locker room that [VSU coach] Lonnie Blow and his team, they're mentally tough and we knew they were going to make a run back at us," said Virginia Union Head Men's Basketball Coach Jay Butler. "I thought we were just a step slow defensively. I thought we were pretty good, but early on in the season we've been really good defensively. They hit a few threes, and we got kind of complacent."

Virginia Union led by as many as 23 late in the game.

VUU is now 11-3 overall while VSU dropped to 5-8.

Virginia Union now travels to Raleigh, N.C., to face Saint Augustine's University at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 17.