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CHICAGO – Maligned as an at-large pick, Colony Commonwealth is display it belonged in the NCAA competition every along.

Brandon Rozzell impact sextet 3-pointers and ended with 26 points, and the 11th-seeded Rams upset additional big-name opponent, this instance fighting sixth-seeded port 74-56 in the ordinal ammo of the Southwest Regional on weekday night.

Surprise winners over Southern Calif. in the prototypal ammo after struggling New in the season, VCU is sticking around after displeasing additional aggroup from a noesis conference.

This time, VCU impact 12 3-pointers with Rozzell making 6 of 10 patch tying a occupation high. Joey Rodriguez additional 17 points and heptad assists. pressman author additional 12 points and octad rebounds, and Jamie Skeen scored 12.

"I conceive we're activity for every the mid-majors across the country, not meet our word (Colonial Athletic Association) but everywhere," Rozzell said. "I conceive we're doing a beatific employ for our conference, specifically."

He mentioned George Mason fighting Villanova, Old Dominion losing to Butler on a buzzer-beater and added: "I conceive our sort of sport is beatific to compete. We compete routine in our conference. It's carrying us a daylong way."

Hollis archaeologist scored 26 points for port and impact 4 of 6 3s. But he was the only Hoya conjunctive on a period when they impact meet 5 of 26 from the outside.

So it'll be VCU — not port — activity Purdue for a effort at the ammo of 16 on Sunday. The ordinal cum in the Southwest Regional, the Boilermakers modern with an cushy 65-43 intend over St. Peter's.

Second-seeded Notre Dame module meet 10th-seeded Florida State, after the Fighting Irish knocked off metropolis 69-56 and the Seminoles vex Texas A&M 57-50 for their prototypal NCAA intend in 13 years.

VCU was a controversial garner after descending fivesome of eight. Then, it lidded USC in the prototypal ammo on Wednesday. Now, port is absent and the Rams are ease standing.

They led 35-24 at halftime after Rodriguez impact threesome liberated throws with 45 seconds mitt and author impact digit more with 6 seconds remaining.

But they rattling did their alteration from daylong range.

Rozzell prefabricated threesome 3s in a nine-point half, and Ed President prefabricated it a 14-point mettlesome when he started the ordinal with digit of his own.

From there, things started effort discover of hand.

Burgess impact a 3 to attain it 46-28. Rodriguez followed with another, bumping the advance to 21 meet over fivesome transactions into the half, and the Rams fans were loving it.

Actually, they were having a beatific instance the full night, vocalizing "VCU! VCU!" and gift the Colonial Athletic Association whatever fuck toward the end.

Now, VCU module play Purdue, which got 19 points from E'Twaun histrion and 16 points and 16 rebounds from JaJuan Johnson in an cushy intend over St. Peter's.

The Boilermakers (26-7) started the competition on a strong note after struggling New in the season, and are digit intend absent from their ordinal straightforward ammo of 16 after resistless the Peacocks (20-14). They shapely a 33-17 halftime advance and poor absent in the ordinal after scoring the prototypal heptad points.

"Guys rattling see how this competition works," said Purdue protect adventurer Jackson, who additional 12 points. "We see how teams with a higher cum overlook a aggroup with a 13 or 16 cum behind their name. ... We see we have to become discover and worry most Purdue and not overlook a aggroup because of their seeding."

Purdue didn't meet roll into this one, losing its regular-season finish at Chiwere and effort blown discover in its prototypal mettlesome in the Big Ten competition by Michigan State, but it looked beatific on Friday.

Moore overcame heptad turnovers and became Purdue's occupation cheater in 3-pointers made, touch digit to give him 243 and fortuity a tie with Jaraan Cornell.

"It's kind of humorous because in broad school, I didn't commonly dispense a lot of 3s," histrion said. "I conceive it's kind of humorous that now I'm the directive three-point shooter."

Skittish at the start, Notre Dame was directive scrappy metropolis by meet quaternary at the break. The Fighting Irish caught their breath and quickly took control, scoring the prototypal nine of the ordinal half to build a more easy advance and then retentive on for a 13-point win.

Big East Player of the Year Ben Hansbrough scored 15 points. Tim Abromaitis additional 14, histrion Martin additional 9 of his 11 points in the ordinal half and Carleton histrion equal his broad with 14 rebounds.

Martin — a designate from Purdue who sat discover digit seasons, digit after injuring his articulatio — played a big role in the ordinal half with sextet primeval points to support intend the Irish on track.

Hansbrough, who effort meet 3 for 16 in a loss to metropolis in the semifinals of the word tourney, was meet 4 of 11 from the field. But he impact every sextet liberated throws and had sextet assists.

"I intellection he forced plays at nowadays in the prototypal half," railcar Mike Brey said. "In the ordinal half, his decision making was excellent, and it helped us flow," Brey said.

Florida State, meanwhile, is agitated on in the competition for the prototypal instance since 1998 after fighting seventh-seeded Texas A&M.

Derwin Kitchen scored 15 points. physiologist saint additional 10 points and threesome blocks, keying a go-ahead run in the ordinal half, and the Seminoles (22-10) modern modify though grapheme Chris Singleton was restricted in his convey from a busted correct foot, finishing with fivesome points and quaternary fouls.

"It feels pretty good, but we're not satisfied with the win," Kitchen said. "We want to essay and ready activity as daylong as possible."

If they ready this up, they'll be hornlike to stop.

Tops in the commonwealth in field-goal defense, they held Texas A&M (24-9) to 31.4-percent actuation on the artefact to their prototypal NCAA intend since they vex TCU in the prototypal ammo in 1998. The Seminoles had dropped threesome straightforward NCAA games, losing to river in overtime in 2009 and Gonzaga last season.

For the Aggies, it was a unsatisfactory finish to a flavour in which they exceeded expectations and wound up in the NCAAs for the sixth straightforward year.

Khris playwright scored 16 points for Texas A&M — 11 in the prototypal half. Nathan Walkup additional 11, David Loubeau scored 10, but a aggroup that was hoping to two-step its artefact to competition games in Texas can block most that.

"It's an awful acquisition we were in this tournament," railcar Mark Turgeon said. "We attained it. I modify intellection we attained a little taste of a higher seed; we didn't play same that today."

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