The reports of VCU’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.
VCU wins 2015 Atlantic 10 Tournament with 71-65 triumph over Dayton
Left for dead entering the week, the VCU Rams took down Dayton to win their fourth game in four days and cut down the nets inside the Barclays Center.
Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
After entering the week with some declaring that a loss in their first game might leave them relegated to the NIT, the Rams knocked off second-seeded Dayton 71-65 on Sunday to win their fourth game in as many days and claim the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship.
Tournament MVP Treveon Graham led VCU with a game-high 20 points to go along with 13 rebounds and four assists. JeQuan Lewis added 15 points, while Terry Larrier and Mo Alie-Cox chipped in 13 apiece. Shorthanded Dayton got no points from its bench, but had four starters score in double figures, led by Scoochie Smith's 16.
The victory capped a remarkable turnaround week for VCU, which lost six of 10 games after losing star guard Briante Weber for the season with a torn ACL on Jan. 31. That four-week span dropped the Rams from a team many believed could make a run to the Final Four to one which didn't even earn a bye in its own conference tournament. Now, it's safe to say that fans in Richmond are back to dreaming about a deep run in the Big Dance.
Dayton, which made a Cinderella run to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight last season, fell in the A-10 championship game for the third time since its last title in 2003. Still, the run to the finals was an impressive feat by a gritty Flyer team that has seen injuries and suspensions leave it with just six players on scholarship and no players taller than 6'6.
This was the first Atlantic 10 championship of any sort for VCU, which joined the conference at the start of the 2012-13 season.
Bracket
An updated and downloadable version of the the final tournament bracket can be found here.
Schedule and results (all times Eastern)
Schedule and results (all times Eastern)
Wednesday, March 11 (First round)
Game 1: No. 12 Fordham 71, No. 13 George Mason 65
Game 2: No. 11 Duquesne 61, No. 14 Saint Louis 55
Thursday, March 12 (Second round)
Game 3: No 9. La Salle 76, No. 8 Massachusetts 69
Game 4: No. 5 VCU 63, No. 12 Fordham 57
Game 5: No. 7 St. Bonaventure 60, No. 10 Saint Joseph’s 49
Game 6: No. 6 George Washington 73, No. 11 Duquesne 55
Friday, March 13 (Quarterfinals)
Game 7: No. 1 Davidson 67, No 9. La Salle 66
Game 8: No. 5 VCU 70, No. 4 Richmond 67
Game 9: No. 2 Dayton 75 No. 7 St. Bonaventure 71
Game 10: No. 3 Rhode Island 71, No. 6 George Washington 58
Saturday, March 14 (Semifinals)
Game 11: No. 5 VCU 93, No. 1 Davidson 73
Game 12: No. 2 Dayton 56, No. 3 Rhode Island 52
Sunday, March 15 (Championship)
No. 5 VCU 71, No. 2 Dayton 65
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