OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oregon State guard Gary Payton II electrified the Oklahoma City Regional with a pair of ferocious dunks and a series of acrobatic plays.
But while Payton II dazzled at one end, VCU dominated at the other. And in the end, the 10th-seeded Rams weathered Payton's one-man show in the second half by owning the paint to hold off the No. 7 Beavers 75-67 and advance Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
All told, the Rams produced 46 points in the paint, flanked also by a pair of key 3-pointers, which gave VCU back the momentum for good after a furious Payton II flurry midway through the second half.