VCU claimed its third Atlantic 10 Tournament title in four seasons with a 70–62 win over Dayton on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
The Rams held the lead for 39 minutes and 19 seconds of the contest and built a 17-point advantage in the first half. VCU shot 8-of-14 from three in the opening half and outscored the Flyers 40–25 to take a comfortable cushion into the break, holding Dayton to just 9 field goals on 27 attempts before halftime.
Nyk Lewis opened scoring 19 seconds into the game with a step-back three-pointer and never looked back. Lewis finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 4-of-5 shooting from deep, anchoring a VCU backcourt that punished Dayton consistently from range throughout the first half.
The Rams' bench was the decisive edge in the opening period, outscoring Dayton's reserves 23–4 in the first half alone, with Tyrell Ward providing a signature VCU moment: a steal-and-dunk at the 3:40 mark that pushed the lead to 12 points. Ward closed with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
VCU's first-half shooting cooled dramatically in the second half — 7-of-27 from the field and 3-of-10 from three — but the Rams converted 13-of-19 free throws over the final 20 minutes to preserve the lead. Michael Belle and Brandon Jennings fouled out in the second half, but Lazar Djokovic stepped into the void, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the line on just 11 minutes of court time to help VCU weather every Dayton surge.
Dayton never led and was tied with VCU just once, at 10–10 with 13:26 remaining in the first half. The Flyers got within 7 points at 60–53 with under two minutes to play, but Djokovic hit four consecutive free throws to push the margin back to 9 and the Rams closed out a 70–62 final.
VCU won both regular-season meetings against Dayton and swept the series 3-0 this season.
It is the 10th time VCU has reached the A-10 Championship game in the 13 seasons since joining the conference, and the fourth title game appearance in five years under the program's current standard.
Terrence Hill Jr. was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player with Lewis joining his fellow guard on the All-Tournament Team.
Key Performances
Team Notes
Up Next
With the win, VCU improves to 3-0 this weekend in the A-10 Tournament and 27-7 overall. The Rams now await their NCAA Tournament bid and seeding, with Selection Sunday set for this evening on CBS.
The Rams held the lead for 39 minutes and 19 seconds of the contest and built a 17-point advantage in the first half. VCU shot 8-of-14 from three in the opening half and outscored the Flyers 40–25 to take a comfortable cushion into the break, holding Dayton to just 9 field goals on 27 attempts before halftime.
Nyk Lewis opened scoring 19 seconds into the game with a step-back three-pointer and never looked back. Lewis finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 4-of-5 shooting from deep, anchoring a VCU backcourt that punished Dayton consistently from range throughout the first half.
The Rams' bench was the decisive edge in the opening period, outscoring Dayton's reserves 23–4 in the first half alone, with Tyrell Ward providing a signature VCU moment: a steal-and-dunk at the 3:40 mark that pushed the lead to 12 points. Ward closed with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
VCU's first-half shooting cooled dramatically in the second half — 7-of-27 from the field and 3-of-10 from three — but the Rams converted 13-of-19 free throws over the final 20 minutes to preserve the lead. Michael Belle and Brandon Jennings fouled out in the second half, but Lazar Djokovic stepped into the void, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the line on just 11 minutes of court time to help VCU weather every Dayton surge.
Dayton never led and was tied with VCU just once, at 10–10 with 13:26 remaining in the first half. The Flyers got within 7 points at 60–53 with under two minutes to play, but Djokovic hit four consecutive free throws to push the margin back to 9 and the Rams closed out a 70–62 final.
VCU won both regular-season meetings against Dayton and swept the series 3-0 this season.
It is the 10th time VCU has reached the A-10 Championship game in the 13 seasons since joining the conference, and the fourth title game appearance in five years under the program's current standard.
Terrence Hill Jr. was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player with Lewis joining his fellow guard on the All-Tournament Team.
Key Performances
- Nyk Lewis — 17 pts, 11 reb, 4-5 3FG, 1 stl
- Terrence Hill Jr. — 14 pts, 6-15 FG, 2 stl
- Michael Belle — 12 pts, 6 reb, 2-4 3FG
- Lazar Djokovic — 6 pts, 6-6 FT, 3 reb (11 min)
- Tyrell Ward — 8 pts, 4 reb, 3 blk, 3 stl
- Barry Evans — 6 pts, 6 reb, 2-5 3FG
Team Notes
- VCU led for 39:19 of 40 minutes; the game was tied for just 0:41
- Rams bench outscored Dayton bench 34–15
- VCU scored 25 fast break points to Dayton's 11
- Rams scored 13 points off turnovers; Dayton scored 4
- VCU shot 57% from three in the first half (8-of-14)
- Dayton held to just 9 first-half field goals on 27 attempts (33%)
- VCU's largest lead was 17 points (40–23) with 1:01 left in the first half
- Djokovic was 6-of-6 from the free throw line in 11 minutes off the bench
- Rams improved to 15-of-16 in their last 16 games
Up Next
With the win, VCU improves to 3-0 this weekend in the A-10 Tournament and 27-7 overall. The Rams now await their NCAA Tournament bid and seeding, with Selection Sunday set for this evening on CBS.
