Final Score: No. 12 Dayton 67, No. 13 VCU 61
Location: Wilmington, Del. (Chase Fieldhouse)
Records: VCU 7-22, Dayton 7-20
 
The Short Story: VCU overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to draw within one point of Dayton on multiple occasions late, but the Flyers held off the Rams in the Atlantic 10 Championship First Round.
 
OPENING TIP: 

• Sarah Te-Biasu led VCU with 13 points and four assists in just 17 minutes played. Te-Biasu had missed the previous nine contests due to injury
• Janika Griffith-Wallace was the second Ram in double figures, scoring 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field
• Chloe Bloom also scored 12 points while Mykel Parham grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds
• Timaya Lewis-Eutsey and Keowa Walters each had six rebounds
• VCU controlled the offensive glass, out-rebounding Dayton in the category 24-11. The Rams' offensive rebounding advantage was reflected in second-chance points, which VCU led 18-8
• The Flyers shot 46.9 percent from the field while VCU managed just 66.7 percent
• Topping Dayton in points was Sydney Freeman with 18

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:  

• The game's opening quarter was back and forth, with VCU taking a 10-8 lead on Mary-Anna Asare's jumper in the paint. That score held at the first media timeout with 3:56 left in the first quarter
• To end the first quarter, VCU held Dayton to 1-of-8 shooting on its last 8 field goals and taking a 14-12 lead into the second
• VCU struggled to find offensive rhythm in the second quarter, not making its first field goal of the quarter on a Te-Biasu jumper with 1:25 remaining in the half to end a 13-0 Dayton run
• Janika Griffith-Wallace drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, helping the Rams pull within a 34-21 at halftime
• VCU went on a 12-2 run to start the second half as Griffith-Wallace hit another 3-pointer to trim Dayton's advantage to 36-30 with 7:13 left in the third
• The Rams continued to chip away at the Flyers' led at trailed just 44-41 heading into the fourth quarter after a pair of Asare free throws with two seconds left in the quarter
• VCU cut the Dayton lead to one point on two different occasions during the fourth quarter but were unable to take the lead as Dayton closed out the contest by converting its final seven free throws in the game's last four minutes