Perhaps Wednesday night’s 59-46 victory over Southern California will alleviate some of the criticism surrounding Virginia Commonwealth's inclusion in the NCAA tournament.

Jamie Skeen scored 16 points and was the only player to reach double digits for the Rams, who made the 68-team field after advancing to the championship game of the CAA tournament before losing.

VCU (24-11) made 9-of-24 shots from 3-point range and held a 16-5 edge on the offensive glass in advancing to face sixth-seeded Georgetown on Friday in Chicago.

After a contentious first half that included eight lead changes and four ties, VCU held the advantage for nearly the entire second stanza. A 3-pointer by Skeen in the first minute of the second half broke a 22-22 halftime tie.

USC (19-15), meanwhile, tallied just nine points in the first eight minutes of the second half. While USC never tied VCU or grabbed the lead again, the Trojans were hanging around at 44-43 inside of eight minutes when the Rams went on a decisive 7-0 run sparked by Ed Nixon’s 3-pointer.

Jio Fontan scored 14 points before fouling out for the Trojans, who had won six of their previous eight games.

USC lost despite outshooting VCU from the field (39.5 percent to 33.9 percent) and making as many free throws - 15 - as the Rams attempted. The Trojans went just 1 of 9 beyond the arc, however, and committed 15 turnovers.