Dayton came into Selection Sunday hoping to poach the Atlantic 10’s automatic berth and play bid thief. Instead, Richmond handled the Cinderella Flyers and kept the NCAA Tournament bubble intact with a 67-54 victory in the Atlantic 10 Tournament final.
2011 NCAA Tournament Field: Richmond Claims Atlantic 10’s Automatic Berth
Richmond’s Kevin Anderson led all scorers with 23 points, and the Spiders’ Justin Harper added 18 points. Both teams struggled to produce on offense, with Richmond shooting just 42.2% from the field, only marginally better than Dayton’s 38.2%.
Richmond’s win dashes the amusing possibility that Dayton could make the NCAA Tournament and be sent to the First Four play-in games in Dayton, but the Spiders are certainly not going to be shedding any tears for their rivals. The win gives Richmond a strong profile and should produce a No. 10 or No. 9 seed for the Spiders, who rank among the most dangerous mid-major teams in this year’s March Madness field.
For more NCAA Tournament predictions, check out SB Nation’s latest bracketology.
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