VCU Rams at Oregon State Beavers

JeQuan Lewis, VCU fight off Oregon State to advance

The experienced Rams showed why they were the favorites in their first-round game against seventh-seeded Oregon State, despite entering the game as a No. 10 seed.

It was the sixth straight NCAA appearance for the Rams, a streak that started with the school's Final Four run in 2011.

Rather than reveling in their run of postseason success, VCU entered Friday more focused on making amends for first-round losses the last two years. And they certainly played like it in the second half, recovering after a 10-point lead.

"These guys have been through it," Wade said. "And you've got to roll with them, and that's what we did today."

The junior helped the team's seniors stick around for at least one more appearance on the national stage.

"Coming into the game, I told him, `I don't have many of these left,' and if he could do me a favor, it would be for him to be aggressive," Johnson said. "And he was extremely aggressive."

While VCU celebrated its continued run of postseason success, Oregon State was left feeling its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 26 years didn't last long enough.

Gary Payton II scored 19 points to lead the Beavers (19-13), and Derrick Bruce finished with 15 and Drew Eubanks 13, but they were unable to control VCU's inside attack and win their first NCAA tournament game since 1982.

"I'm very happy for our guys' fight that we showed, but it's going to stick in our craw for a little bit," Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. "We're competitive; we weren't happy just making an appearance."

However, the Beavers didn't go away quietly.

With Bruce connecting on a pair of 3-pointers and Payton II throwing down a pair of dunks and scoring another basket on the fast break, Oregon State went on a 14-2 run to take a 51-49 lead. It was the first time the Beavers had led since a 20-19 edge in the first half.

The charge was short-lived, though, as the Rams regained their composure and stretched the lead to as many as 10 points before holding on for their first tournament win since a first-round victory over Akron in 2013.

"I wish it was longer, but we had a good run," Payton II said.

TIP-INS

VCU: The Rams finished the game with 46 of their 75 points coming near the basket, and they shot 48.2 percent (27 of 56) from the field.

Oregon State: The Beavers played without freshman Tres Tinkle, who also missed Oregon's State's four previous games with a right foot injury. The 6-foot-8 forward, playing for his father, entered the game averaging 13.1 points per game.

DUNK CITY

Three of Alie-Cox's seven field goals came on dunks against the Oregon State zone defense, including one that helped turn momentum to VCU for good. After the Rams fell behind 51-49, Johnson and Lewis hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put them up 55-52. That's when Alie-Cox added his third dunk of the game, a powerful one-handed dunk that led to a three-point play that put VCU up by six points, a lead that never was less than that again.

UP NEXT

The Rams will play No. 2 seed Oklahoma on Sunday.

How can I watch VCU vs. Oregon State?

• TV Channel: VCU at Oregon State 2021 College Basketball, week 1, is broadcasted on TNT.
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