VCU pulls off upset over Wichita State in second round of the NCAA Tournament

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Well before VCU’s bout with Wichita State Thursday night, Shaka Smart sat down to watch 12-seeded Long Beach State and 5th-seeded New Mexico play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

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Wichita State senior center Garrett Stutz crouches in defeat.

Jim Swing
Sports Editor

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PORTLAND, Ore.–Well before VCU’s bout with Wichita State Thursday night, Shaka Smart sat down to watch 12th-seeded Long Beach State and 5th-seeded New Mexico play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Wichita State senior center Garrett Stutz was shut down by the Rams havoc defense.

The third-year coach, known for his ability to motivate players as an underdog, pointed out that he wanted the Rams to be the first 12 seed to throw a five seed.

“I said I hope New Mexico wins so we can be that 12 that upsets a 5,” Smart said. “Nothing against Long Beach, they had a great year. But that was definitely a big factor for us.”

The Lobos went on to beat the 49ers and Smart got his wish. Better than that, though, VCU won its own game, in classic down-to-the-wire fashion, 62-59 over Wichita State to advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

Much like the Rams’ previous three games back in the CAA Tournament, they drew up a large lead before watching it dwindle away, setting up a thrilling, yet victorious finish. The Shockers preached prior to the game about having been accustomed to the full-court press VCU likes to run, citing a date they had with Alabama back in November.

But for much of the first half, the Rams controlled the tempo. Wichita State turned the ball over seven times and VCU’s offense clicked in transition, as the Rams built up a nine-point lead before the half.

From there on there was seemingly a play of role-reversal. The Shockers began taking care of the ball and the Rams began doing the exact opposite.

For different stretches Wichita State even employed its own full-court pressure that gave the Rams fits. The Shockers turned the ball over just five times in the second half, while VCU gave the ball up seven times. Wichita State orchestrated a 15-8 run that gave it just its fourth lead of the game, 59-57 with 2:21 left to play.

VCU immediately punched its ticket to another barnburner, but with the same result.

Just over a minute later, the Rams’ lone senior Bradford Burgess, left all alone in the corner, drained a 3-pointer to give VCU a one-point lead. For the Midlothian, Va. native, it was business as usual.

“There’s no pressure,” Burgess said. “It was just a wide-open shot, the ball got swung to me in the corner and I was able to knock it in.

“We practice that all the time. I got open shots, no matter what the situation is, it’s another open shot that I was capable of knocking down.”

Barely over a minute later, junior point guard Darius Theus painted the finishing touches on yet another upset for VCU in the NCAA Tournament. With the shot clock winding down, Theus drove into the lane and placed a high floated over Wichita State big man Garrett Stutz, which bounced of the rim and went in.

“It was a blessing,” Theus said. “I got a lucky bounce and the ball just rolled in.”

VCU will face 4th-seeded Indiana in the third round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday evening. The Hoosiers are coming off a second-round victory over New Mexico State. For the Rams to win, they’ll have to pull of another upset.

Tell them something they don’t know.

“Whoever we play on Saturday is going to be a high-level basketball team,” Smart said. “So that means we’re going to have to play very, very well.”

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