Score: Dayton 82, VCU 52
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 13-7 (6-3 Atlantic 10), Dayton 15-7 (7-2 A-10)
 
The short story: Dayton shot 52 percent from the field, and shorthanded VCU saw its three-game win streak come to an end Wednesday night at the Siegel Center.
 
OPENING TIP

• Sophomore point guard Adrian "Ace" Baldwin Jr. led the Rams with 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers, and four assists
• Sophomore forward Mikeal Brown-Jones made 4-of-5 field goals and knocked down a pair of free throws as he tied a career-high with 10 points for the Black and Gold
• Junior forward Hason Ward supplied eight points, including a pair of dunks, and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for VCU
• Dayton got the vast majority of its scoring from three players: Daron Holmes II (21 points), Kobe Elvis (20 points), and Toumani Camara (18 points) 

THE DIFFERENCE

• In addition to a 52%-41% advantage in field goal percentage, Dayton also outrebounded VCU by a 40-22 margin
• The Flyers forced VCU into 17 turnovers, which they converted into 23 points, while the Rams turned 12 Dayton turnovers into 10 points
• After Baldwin tied the game at 21-21 with a three-pointer at the 7:27 mark of the first half, Dayton went on a 22-7 run to close the period. The Flyers led by double digits for the rest of the game 

NOTABLE

• VCU played without senior forward Vince Williams Jr., the team's leading scorer (12.9) and rebounder (6.2), and freshman forward Jalen DeLoach.
• Junior forward Jimmy Nichols Jr. collected a season-high three blocks.
• VCU and Dayton split the season series after the Rams won 53-52 in Dayton, Ohio on Jan. 5

NEXT UP
The Rams continue their home stretch by hosting Duquesne on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. inside the Siegel Center. The game will air locally on MASN2 and CBS6, and can be streamed on ESPN+.