How they did it: Burgess, Rodriguez provide the spark as VCU shocks Purdue

Bradford Burgess made E’Twaun Moore look a lot like he made Austin Freeman look; helpless.

Moore, who averaged 18.2 PPG during the regular season, was held to just 10 points on 5-15 shooting. Burgess on the other hand was dominant on the offensive end, with a 23 point effort. He was also very efficient, knocking down eight of his 12 field goals.

JuJuan Johnson, Purdue’s All-American, had 25 points but it wasn’t enough to even keep his team in the game. VCU dominated from start to finish and the second half was barely more than a formality. The Rams offense was as efficient as they have been all season, hitting 57 percent of their shots.

A great deal of the credit for that belongs to Joey Rodriguez, who has taken his game to a new level since the beginning of the NCAA Tournament. The senior point guard recorded his first double-double of the tourney with 12 points and 11 assists. He was once again the catalyst of the offense, and remained calm as he watched his teammates dance in the locker room after the game.

Rodriguez’s tepid attitude toward the gigantic upset over Purdue is representative of where this Ram team may be headed. The Sweet Sixteen berth marks VCU’s best run in the NCAA Tournament, but it does not mean the Rams are satisfied.

Florida State is without question a hungry team, but VCU has outscored elite teams in downright scary fashion so far. The way the Rams have played, anything can happen the rest of the way.

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