RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Larry Sanders scored 15 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead Virginia Commonwealth past Delaware 66-49 on Friday in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.
The fifth-seeded Rams (21-8), winners of eight of their last 11 games, will face fourth-seeded George Mason in the quarterfinals Saturday. Delaware (7-24) lost seven straight and 10 of its last 11 games.
VCU broke an 8-8 tie with nine straight points — four by Sanders. The Rams finished the first half with a 14-5 run to take a 37-21 advantage into halftime.
VCU went 7 of 12 from beyond the arc and shot 43.8 percent from the floor in the first half. The 12-seeded Blue Hens were held to 34.6 percent from the field before halftime.
The Rams opened the second half with a 13-4 spurt to take a 50-27 lead with 13:31 left. Sanders led the run with eight points and an assist.
