The Va. Commonwealth Rams are the sole remaining team flying the flag for the CAA. They're representing the league quite well in their attempt to be the only First Four team to reach the Sweet 16. VCU currently leads the Purdue Boilermakers by 10 points.
The Rams went on a 17-2 run late in the half, eclipsed by two straight Brandon Rozzell three-pointers in transition. The first came after a VCU steal, and the second came as the Rams pushed the ball up the floor and created a three-on-one after a Purdue miss. The defensive effort by the Rams during this stretch was impressive, but so was their shooting. The Rams finished the half with a shooting percentage of 50, including four out of 10 three-point attempts.
The Rams still have 20 minutes left to hang on for this victory. But even if the Boilermakers do come back, at least the VCU players will be able to leave the Tournament feeling good about themselves for putting in a good performance against a quality opponent, which is more than we can say about the George Mason Patriots today.