RICHMOND, Va. (BVM) — Despite going through an unprecedented regular season, the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament has begun with high hopes. For No. 7 Dayton and No. 10 Rhode Island, the odds were split on the table for their first tournament game on March 4. 

Rhode Island has had their ups and downs, but leading scorer Fatts Russell has guided the team to some exceptional victories. Meanwhile, Dayton came off a historic run from last season, but guards Jalen Crutcher and Ibi Watson have kept some of the attention on the Flyers. 

Although Dayton was ranked above Rhode Island, the Rams had previously beaten the Flyers in February. After coming back from a 12-point deficit and forcing Dayton into double overtime, Rhode Island proved they can remain competitive in the league. With the Flyers beating the Rams once as well in the regular season, this tournament game was for the tie-breaker. 

Not only have the Rams and Flyers been competitors in the past, but March 4 marked one year since Dayton and Rhode Island went head-to-head two games before Dayton’s incredible season came to a halt. The Flyers blew out the Rams, 84-57, and were on their way to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

This leads us to the first game for both teams in the 2021 A-10 Tournament. Rhode Island started with a disadvantage, as guard Jeremy Sheppard was out. Sheppard had started for 24 games throughout the season, so it was essential for the Rams to reconstruct their starting line up. 

The game started with a layup from Dayton’s Jordy Tshimanga. The court was owned by the Flyers for the first four minutes, as Dayton rebounded well and R.J. Blakney hit the first three of the game.

Rhode Island came back quickly, tying the game at 7 by the 15-minute mark of the first half. Russell capitalized with his first three of the game and continued to lead the team by being aggressive and forcing turnovers. By the middle of the half, the Rams were just edging a lead when Dayton guard Watson made a three and grabbed the foul.

Taking the lead 15-13, Dayton continued to keep up with Rhode Island, as each team was scoring on almost every possession. Just five minutes before halftime, the score was tied 22-22 until Watson drained a three and gave the Flyers an edge they needed. After a missed shot from Russell, Blakney contributed to the score by adding a three, quickly followed by Watson showing some skill with an explosive dunk. 

If Dayton was not making enough three pointers, Crutcher ensured that skill would be recognized as he drained a shot right before halftime. With the Flyers ending the half up by nine points, the Rams had to reevaluate their plan on how to stop Dayton from making outside shots. 

The second half did not start well for the Rams, as the Flyers gained their biggest lead of the day. As the score was 43-33, Rhode Island tried to make a comeback. Russell completed a basket, and Antwan Walker and Makhi Mitchell would do the same. With just over 10 minutes left in the game, Dayton led by only two. After back-to-back shots from Mitchell and Allen Betrand, the Flyers felt the heat from Rhode Island. With the game at only a one-point lead for Dayton, there was no time for errors.

With that said, Mitchell made the mistake of fouling out, leaving the Rams to fight without one of their biggest players. To make matters worse, Betrand took a weird turn at the knee, which took him out of the game and straight to the locker room. At this point, Dayton took advantage of the losses. At around the four-minute mark, the Flyers had the lead, 76-62. 

A player that took the spotlight for Dayton in the last minutes was Finland native Mustapha Amzil. He scored back-to-back baskets and performed great at the rim. To finish the game, the Flyers kept the ball in their hands and ensured turnovers were not in the equation for the win. Dayton finished the game with a 84-72 victory, breaking the series tie with the Rams. The Flyers will take on VCU in the A-10 Quarterfinals March 5.

Before Anthony Grant headed back to the locker room with the team, he commented on the performance and what is to come. 

“Our guys played with great poise,” he said. “VCU has depth, but we will just have to recover quickly.” 

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