A tied game at the half, VCU was able to pull away late to score a 75-65 win over Northeastern and advance to the second-round of the CAA men's basketball tournament. After a low-scoring first half, the Rams were able to outlast the Huskies behind the bench production of Rob Brandenberg and Treveon Graham.
Brandenberg and Treveon Graham provided the Rams with the offensive support they needed in the second half. Brandenberg finished with 19 points and drilled 3 out of his 5 three-point attempts, while Graham contributed 16 points. As a team VCU shot 45% from long range, converting on 9 of their 20 attempts. The performance of VCU's reserves helped them overcome a valiant effort by Northeastern (14-17, 9-9 CAA), who were led by Quincy Ford and Joel Smith, who each scored 17.
With the victory, VCU improved its overall record to 26-6, 15-3 in the CAA. The Rams will meet the winner of Georgia State-George Mason in the CAA Tournament Semifinals.
For more on the CAA men's basketball tournament 2012, be sure to check out this SB Nation DC StoryStream. Meanwhile, SB Nation's college basketball hub will have all the news and nuggets you need in preparation for March and the madness it brings.