The difference turned out to be three-point shooting. While the Rams were shooting 59.1 percent from beyond the arc, the Tigers made only two of seven treys (28.5 percent).
VCU ( 3-1) will meet No. 5 Duke in Friday's semifinals. The Blue Devils beat Minnesota, 89-71.
Adonis Thomas had 19 points for the Tigers (2-1), who committed 22 turnovers that the Rams turned into 33 points.
In other Battle 4 Atlantis games:
* Russ Smith scored 16 points and No. 2 Louisville (4-0) edged Northern Iowa, 51-46.
* Seth Curry scored 25 points and Mason Plumlee added 20 points and a career-high-matching 17 rebounds as No. 5 Duke's starters scored all but two of the Blue Devils' points in an 89-71 victory over Minnesota. Guard Quinn Cook had a career-high 17 points for the Blue Devils (4-0). Rodney Williams had 16 points for the Golden Gophers (4-1).
* Laurence Bowers had 19 points and 10 rebounds as No. 13 Missouri (4-0) beat Stanford, 78-70.
In other games *
At Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Elias Harris and Kelly Olynyk scored 13 points each as No. 17 Gonzaga (4-0) downed Clemson, 57-49 in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic . . . Romero Osby had 16 points and 10 rebounds as Oklahoma (3-0) won, 68-61, over Texas-El Paso.
