VCU 75, Northeastern 65

Published Mar. 3, 2012 8:40 p.m. ET

foxsports

Rob Brandenberg scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half and Treveon Graham had 10 of his 16 after the break Saturday night, leading Virginia Commonwealth to a 75-65 victory against Northeastern in the Colonial Athletic Association quarterfinals.

Bradford Burgess added 10 points as the second-seeded Rams (26-6) won for the 23rd time in their last 26 games. They forced 25 turnovers that turned into 25 points - including 16 points in the second half as their pressure defense helped them escape a 26-all tie at the intermission.

Joel Smith and Quincy Ford led the Huskies (14-17) with 17 points each and Jonathan Lee had 16.

The Rams, who led by as many as 21, started the second half with a 10-2 burst, and later had an 11-0 run that gave them a 64-43 lead.

The Huskies shot 51 percent, but took 12 fewer shots.