Just a few Dayton Flyers followers, cheering from behind the UD bench, put their fears apart each two years when Dayton performs on the Robins Center. Losses to the Spiders are an even bigger fear than precise spiders.
Dayton coach Oliver Purnell was 1-1 on the Robins Center. His successor, Brian Gregory, received his first recreation on the area in 2004 after which misplaced 4 straight. Archie Miller adopted with two losses earlier than an 85-84 victory in 2016.
The present coach, Anthony Grant, has topped all of them with 4 victories in 5 possibilities. Dayton beat Richmond 65-60 on the Robins Center on Tuesday to enhance to 7-8 on the dwelling of the Spiders. It has by no means received a recreation by greater than eight factors there.
“It’s hard to win on the road in somebody else’s building,” Grant stated. “Richmond’s a really tough prep. It’s a unique prep for us. This late in the year, seeing them for the first time, we knew that it would be a battle.”
Dayton’s sixth straight victory offers it an opportunity to beat the Atlantic 10 Conference’s two Richmond, Va., groups in the identical week for the primary time since January 2018. The Flyers (21-9, 12-5) play Virginia Commonwealth (23-7, 14-3) at 7 p.m. Friday at UD Arena within the remaining recreation of the common season.
This would be the third yr in a row Dayton and VCU have performed within the remaining recreation of the common season. Dayton received the primary two: 91-86 in overtime at UD Arena in 2024; and seven9-76 at the Siegel Center in 2025.
Dayton has already clinched a top-four seed and double bye within the A-10 event. Here are the eventualities that may decide whether or not Dayton is the No. 3 or No. 4 seed.
• Dayton would be the No. 4 seed if it loses Friday or beats VCU and Saint Joseph’s (20-10, 12-5) wins at dwelling in opposition to La Salle on Saturday. Saint Joseph’s received 70-67 at Davidson on Wednesday.
• Dayton would be the No. 3 seed if it beats VCU and Saint Joseph’s loses.
Here are 5 issues to find out about Dayton’s thirty first recreation:
1. Series history: VCU leads the collection 16-8. It has received 9 of the final 13 video games. The groups have cut up two regular-season video games 4 seasons in a row.
In the primary matchup this season, VCU beat Dayton 99-73 on the Siegel Center on Feb. 6. The Flyers trailed 50-27 at halftime and fell behind by as many as 30 factors within the second half. It was Dayton’s most lopsided loss to VCU. The Flyers performed with out second-leading scorer De’Shayne Montgomery, who missed the sport due to an sickness.
“I know my teammates feel a certain way (about the loss),” Montgomery stated. “I would definitely feel a certain way. I’m just ready to get after (VCU).”
VCU has received three of the final 4 matchups at UD Arena. Last season, VCU won the first matchup 73-68 at UD Arena on Feb. 7 because of a 12-0 run within the remaining minutes.
Grant is 7-13 in opposition to VCU, the place he coached from 2006-09, throughout his tenure at Dayton.
“We’re excited about another chance to play them,” Grant stated. “Obviously, they’re having an outstanding year. We didn’t necessarily play our best the last time we played.”
2: Senior night time: Dayton’s Javon Bennett, Jacob Conner, Jordan Derkack and Keonte Jones will likely be honored earlier than the sport together with senior workforce managers Ben English, Bella Sindoni and Jordan Harbeck and pupil athletic coach Kat Blandford.
“It’s definitely been a long road,” stated Derkack, who began his profession at Merrimack with Bennett after which performed one season at Rutgers. “I’m just happy I got to meet some great people, great teammates and great coaches and be a part of three great programs.”
Dayton has received its remaining dwelling recreation in 14 straight seasons since a 69-51 loss to Saint Louis in 2011.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
3: State of the season: VCU has received 12 of its final 13 video games since a 2-2 begin in A-10 play. Its solely loss in that stretch got here on Feb. 20 when it fell 88-75 at Saint Louis, which accomplished a two-game sweep of the season collection.
VCU enters the sport in second place. It’s one recreation behind Saint Louis (27-3, 15-2), which clinched a share of the A-10 title with a 79-65 victory Wednesday in opposition to Loyola Chicago in St. Louis. The Billikens play at George Mason of their remaining recreation Saturday.
Saint Louis additionally clinched the No. 1 seed within the A-10 event. VCU would be the No. 2 seed.
A Quadrant 1 victory Friday would enhance VCU’s probabilities of incomes a NCAA event at-large bid. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi listed VCU among the many “First Four Out” in his newest bracket prediction. On BracketMatrix.com, 46 of the 132 predictions embrace VCU.
In its final recreation Tuesday, VCU beat George Mason 70-65. VCU had the lead for the final 18 minutes however by no means led by greater than eight factors.
VCU avenged an 86-80 loss at George Mason on Jan. 10, whereas George Mason (22-8, 10-7) suffered its sixth loss in its final eight video games.
“That’s what a March basketball game is supposed to look and feel like,” VCU coach Phil Martelli Jr. stated. “Grind it out. Find a way. Not always the prettiest. Not always the cleanest. We told (the players) two days ago, ‘It’s a straight-up toughness game. The toughest team will win.’ They were tougher than us at their place, and I thought we were tougher tonight.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
4: Scouting report: Terrence Hill Jr., a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, leads VCU with 14.1 factors per recreation. He scored 14 factors within the first recreation in opposition to Dayton.
• Lazar Djokovic, a 6-10 junior ahead, averages 13.7 factors per recreation. He scored 13 in opposition to Dayton.
• Jadrian Tracey, a 6-5, sixth-year ahead, averages 10.2 factors. He scored a season-high 26 factors in opposition to Dayton and made 6 of 9 3-pointers.
5: Odds & Ends: KenPom.com offers Dayton a 49% probability of successful and predicts a 76-75 rating. Dayton ranks 76th within the Pomeroy scores. VCU is No. 46.
• Dayton ranks 71st within the NET. VCU is No. 47.
This is a Quadrant 2 recreation for Dayton, which is 1-5 in Quad 1, 5-1 in Quad 2, 7-3 in Quad 3 and 8-0 in Quad 4.
This is a Quad 1 recreation for VCU, which is 1-5 in Quad 1, 4-2 in Quad 2, 9-0 in Quad 3 and 9-0 in Quad 4.
NEXT GAME
Who: VCU at Dayton
When: 7 p.m., Friday
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 95.7-FM, 1290-AM
