VCU had a chance to go undefeated at home for the first time in over 10 years in its season finale but came up short despite a late-game surge. Third-place Dayton (22-9, 12-6 A-10) bested VCU (25-6, 15-3 A-10) on Friday night in nail-biting fashion, 79-76.
The Rams came out of the gates lethargic and sloppy, immediately allowing Dayton to shoot out to a quick 8-0 lead within the opening minutes.
VCU graduate guard Zeb Jackson opened up the scoring for the Rams two minutes in before VCU would miss its next 10 shots and go on a five-minute scoring drought.
The Rams’ first half continued to be sloppy as the opening eight minutes saw them shoot an appalling 13% while Dayton slowly took a double-digit lead.
VCU’s Jackson provided an offensive spark, converting on a layup before immediately following it up with a steal that he turned into a fastbreak dunk, quickly bringing the game back to within single digits.
The Rams’ shooting struggles continued, however, as they went nearly seven minutes with their only points coming from free throws.
VCU graduate forward Jack Clark would be the next to step up offensively, scoring on consecutive possessions with less than four minutes remaining in the first half.
VCU went into halftime only down 28-27 despite their lackluster offensive performance. Jackson led VCU in scoring with 13, and graduate guard Max Shulga led in rebounds with six, half of which came on offense. The Rams shot an uncharacteristic 29% from the field and 13% from 3. Dayton did not fare much better, only shooting 34% from the field and 33% from 3.
Despite the Rams grabbing 10 offensive rebounds in the first, they only had five second-chance points to show for it.
“We’ve got to be better at converting when we get offensive rebounds,” VCU coach Ryan Odom said. “Whether it’s kicking it back out and finding opportunities, or being strong near the rim and going back up.”
VCU graduate guard Joe Bamisile started the second half on the right foot, scoring on a fastbreak dunk to give the Rams their first lead of the night.
Dayton would not go away, however, matching VCU’s efforts every time it looked to be gaining momentum.
VCU and Dayton experienced 11 lead changes in the second half, with many coming in rapid succession.
Both teams continued the back-and-forth game for a large portion of the second half up until the final five minutes.
VCU’s Clark would hit a 3-pointer before the Rams would go three minutes without a field goal, allowing Dayton to go on a 12-2 run.
The Rams proved resilient, however, as Bamisilie began to catch fire, scoring 11 straight points and keeping VCU close enough to remain optimistic.
VCU stole the ball on an inbound, resulting in a Shulga jumper to bring the lead to within two with less than 20 seconds to play.
The Rams copied their efforts on the ensuing possession, poking the ball free on the inbound and getting it to Bamisilie before Dayton fouled him.
VCU’s Bamisile had a chance to be a hero but came up short, splitting a pair of free throws and effectively putting the nail in the coffin.
Following two Dayton free throws, VCU relied on Shulga for a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer, but the shot bounced off the rim, ending VCU’s undefeated streak at home.
With this loss, VCU may have lost out on their at-large bid, but it doesn’t look to be affecting the players’ mentalities moving forward.
“The goal for us is to just win every game,” Bamisile said. “It’s not about March Madness, it’s about winning game by game.”
The Rams’ second-half shooting did little to improve on the first, as they finished the game 38% from the field and 17% from 3. Bamisile led VCU in scoring with 18 points, all of which came in the second half.
Despite the loss, VCU remains in the top spot in the Atlantic 10 Conference and still receives a two-round bye in the upcoming A-10 Tournament. VCU will play its next game on Friday at the Capital One Arena in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
