VCU Basketball

The Rams of Virginia Commonwealth University could not have asked for a better first half performance in their Elite 8 matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks. In true VCU fashion, everything they put up from downtown seemed to go in, and they were able to race out to a convincing 41-27 lead.

The second half, however, did not start so well. The Rams increased their lead to 43-27 within the first minute, but didn't score again for about five minutes. The Jayhawks cut the lead to 43-39 in that window, and it looked like the comeback was on.

But not so fast. The Rams were quickly able to reestablish control of the game, and their lead is back up to 63-54 with just under four minutes remaining in the game.

The Rams are dominating just about every area on the stat sheet. They're shooting 40 percent from the field, they've made 12 of their 23 three-point attempts, and they're knocking down free throws at a 79 percent clip.

For the most part, Kansas has struggled to keep up with VCU's fast-paced style of play, but you have to wonder if that might somehow work to their advantage. They may have a deficit to work with, but they should have fresher legs too. Either way, they're running out of time.

This is just the fifth time a No. 11 seed has squared off against a No. 1 seed in the Elite 8. If VCU can finish this thing off, top seeds will fall to 2-3 in such games.