For all the basketball success VCU has had over the past two decades, they entered Sunday with just two Atlantic 10 titles in eight championship game appearances.

This one certainly wasn't for the faint of heart, with multiple stoppages due to excessive physical contact, but George Mason's last-second attempt to tie the game missed, and the Rams ended up with a 68-63 victory.

The Rams navigated the tournament gauntlet with some unexpected contributions — freshman Brandon Jennings stepped up on Friday, while Christian Fermin provided important interior play during Saturday's semifinal.

"It's not one guy," senior guard Joe Bamisile said. "You have to go into every game conscious of stopping everybody, and that's a hard thing to pull off. Coach (Ryan) Odom and the staff did a really good job putting a great team together, and I'm grateful to be a part of it."

Team chemistry was cited often, and put to the test over three days of high-intensity basketball in front of passionate crowds in Washington, D.C.

Now, it's on to the big dance, the NCAA tournament.

VCU will open play on Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern in Denver against BYU. The Cougars will be slight favorites, but the teams are evenly matched by most computer metrics.

The attention will go to BYU's offense, which has been among the nation's best, testing itself against a stout VCU defense. But the Rams are also comfortable in a fast-paced, high-scoring game, which could make for good entertainment.

One surprise from Sunday was VCU receiving the No. 11 seed to BYU's No. 6 seed. If the Rams hadn't defeated George Mason, they would not have qualified for the tournament and would have been sent to the lesser NIT.

That became a moot point when the Rams cut down the nets, staying on the court well into the late afternoon to celebrate their achievement.

"This group is fun to coach," Odom said. "And you know, I'm excited we get to coach them some more in the NCAA tournament."