VCU Secures Atlantic 10 Title, Clinches NCAA Tournament Spot
PITTSBURGH — No. 2 seed VCU closed the Atlantic 10 tournament with a 70-62 victory over fourth-seeded Dayton. The Rams won their second straight conference tournament title on Sunday.
Game summary
VCU built an early edge and never trailed. Terrence Hill Jr. and Barry Evans hit threes to push the Rams ahead 16-10.
The Rams extended the lead to 40-25 by halftime. Dayton chipped away in the second half but could not complete a comeback.
Michael Belle buried a three and Hill hit a pull-up jumper to make it 48-33 with 15 minutes to play. Dayton trimmed the gap to seven late, but could not get closer.
Standout performers
Nyk Lewis paced VCU with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He went 4-of-5 from long range and was 1-of-5 on two-point attempts.
Reserves provided key offense. Hill scored 14 points, and Belle added 12 off the bench.
Javon Bennett led Dayton with 14 points. Amaël L’Etang contributed 12 points in the loss.
| Player | Team | Points | Rebounds | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyk Lewis | VCU | 17 | 11 | 4-of-5 from three |
| Terrence Hill Jr. | VCU | 14 | — | Key reserve |
| Michael Belle | VCU | 12 | — | Hit clutch three |
| Javon Bennett | Dayton | 14 | — | Team-high for Flyers |
Closing moments
Dayton missed the front end of a 1-and-1 twice while trailing by ten. Jordan Derkack made one of four free throws late.
L’Etang sank two foul shots to cut it to 60-53 with 2:02 remaining. The Flyers could not score again enough to overcome the deficit.
What it means
With the win, VCU secured the Atlantic 10 title and clinched an NCAA Tournament spot. The Rams improved to 27-7 and will make their 21st March Madness appearance.
Dayton, swept by VCU during the regular season, had sought a 20th NCAA bid. VCU’s run also recalled its 2011 Final Four trip.
Report from Pittsburgh for Filmogaz.com.
