Four
SAN DIEGO - Havoc is what Virginia Commonwealth does. The word is emblazoned across the back of its warm-ups. It is on the cover of the media guide. And it is liberally dropped into conversation as a possessive noun.
The Rams on Friday night could have gotten by with a little less havoc and - at a critical moment - a helping of poise.
It might have prevented Desmond Haymon's 4-point play with 3.6 seconds left in regulation that allowed Stephen F. Austin to scramble back from a 10-point deficit and shock V.C.U. in overtime, 77-75.
Virginia Commonwealth became the third No. 5 seed to be dumped out of the tournament in their opener, joining Cincinnati and Oklahoma as upset victims. St. Louis, the other No. 5 seed, was spared the same fate with a late rally.
The table was set for Haymon's moment when V.C.U. missed four of its last five free throws in the final 32 seconds. But still it appeared the 12th-seeded Lumberjacks were out of luck even after Jordan Burgess - who hit a pair of crucial late 3-pointers for the Rams - missed both free throws with 10 seconds left.
But when the ball was kicked out to Haymon on the wing, JeQuan Lewis rushed out to contest the shot and ran right through Haymon. When the shot went through the basket, roars from much of the capacity crowd - including U.C.L.A. fans who would be happy not to face V.C.U. - shook the building.
Lewis had a chance to atone when as the clock ran down in overtime when Briante Weber kicked the ball out to him in the corner. But his 3-pointer rimmed out and the buzzer sounded before the rebound was corralled.
Jacob Parker led Stephen F. Austin with 22 points. The victory extended the Lumberjacks' winning streak to 28 games, the second longest in the nation behind unbeaten Wichita State.
The game was as frenetic as Virginia Commonwealth liked in the second half, when it stormed back from a 10-point deficit and seemed to have control of the game after a 26-5 run left them with a seemingly comfortable lead. But it was not one the Rams could hang onto.
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