Dayton tops VCU 79-76 to prevent Rams from clinching Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title
AP
Mar 07, 2025
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Javon Bennett scored 22 points and Dayton Flyers prevented VCU Rams from clinching the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title with a 79-76 victory on Friday night, ending the Rams' nine-game win streak.
The Rams (25-6, 15-3) lead second-place George Mason by a half-game. The Patriots end the season at Richmond on Saturday. The Flyers (22-9, 12-6) currently sit in third place, a half-game in front of Loyola Chicago and Saint Joseph's. The Ramblers travel to play Massachusetts on Saturday and the Hawks play at La Salle.
Bennett shot 6 of 15 from the field, including 5 for 10 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the free-throw line for Dayton. Malachi Smith totaled 13 points and seven assists. Enoch Cheeks added 12 points.
The Rams were led by Joe Bamisile with 18 points and eight rebounds. Max Shulga added 16 points and nine rebounds. Zeb Jackson also scored 16.
Bennett scored nine points in the first half for Dayton, who led 28-27 at the break. Dayton used a 12-3 second-half run come back from a three-point deficit and take the lead at 66-60 with 2:51 remaining.
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1st Half
DAYT
Flyers
28
VCU
Rams
27
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Amaël L'Etang vs. Luke Bamgboye (Nate Santos gains possession)
19:43
+3
Javon Bennett makes three point jump shot (Malachi Smith assists)
3-0
19:18
Joe Bamisile misses two point layup
19:16
Luke Bamgboye offensive rebound
19:16
Enoch Cheeks shooting foul (Luke Bamgboye draws the foul)
19:16
Luke Bamgboye misses regular free throw 1 of 2
19:16
Luke Bamgboye misses regular free throw 2 of 2
19:16
Enoch Cheeks defensive rebound
18:45
Amaël L'Etang misses three point jump shot
18:43
Joe Bamisile defensive rebound
18:33
Max Shulga turnover (back court violation)
18:24
+2
Amaël L'Etang makes two point dunk (Nate Santos assists)
5-0
18:08
Max Shulga misses three point jump shot
18:06
Malachi Smith defensive rebound
17:56
+3
Javon Bennett makes three point jump shot (Malachi Smith assists)
8-0
17:43
+2
Zeb Jackson makes two point layup
8-2
17:17
+3
Enoch Cheeks makes three point jump shot (Nate Santos assists)
11-2
16:56
+3
Max Shulga makes three point jump shot (Joe Bamisile assists)
11-5
16:44
Malachi Smith misses two point layup
16:42
Joe Bamisile defensive rebound
16:37
Joe Bamisile misses three point jump shot
16:35
Jack Clark offensive rebound
16:32
Zeb Jackson misses three point jump shot
16:30
Nate Santos defensive rebound
16:03
+2
Amaël L'Etang makes two point dunk (Malachi Smith assists)
13-5
15:45
Jack Clark misses three point jump shot
15:43
Malachi Smith defensive rebound
15:26
Enoch Cheeks misses three point jump shot
15:24
Zeb Jackson defensive rebound
15:12
Zeb Jackson misses two point layup
15:10
Zeb Jackson offensive rebound
15:06
Max Shulga misses three point jump shot
15:04
Jack Clark offensive rebound
15:02
Max Shulga misses three point jump shot
15:00
Malachi Smith defensive rebound
14:41
TV timeout
14:31
Jacob Conner misses three point jump shot
14:29
Jack Clark defensive rebound
14:18
Brandon Jennings misses two point layup
14:16
Christian Fermin offensive rebound
14:11
Brandon Jennings misses three point jump shot
14:09
Flyers defensive rebound
13:47
Javon Bennett misses two point jump shot
13:45
Max Shulga defensive rebound
13:40
Max Shulga misses two point layup
13:38
Flyers defensive rebound
13:29
Posh Alexander misses two point layup
13:27
Max Shulga defensive rebound
13:19
Jack Clark misses two point layup
13:17
Zed Key defensive rebound
12:55
Jaiun Simon misses two point jump shot
12:53
Christian Fermin defensive rebound
12:36
Max Shulga misses two point jump shot
12:34
Flyers defensive rebound
12:16
Max Shulga blocks Enoch Cheeks's two point jump shot
12:14
Posh Alexander offensive rebound
12:08
+2
Posh Alexander makes two point jump shot
15-5
11:50
Max Shulga turnover (lost ball) (Enoch Cheeks steals)
11:45
Brandon Jennings shooting foul (Jaiun Simon draws the foul)
11:45
TV timeout
11:45
Jaiun Simon misses regular free throw 1 of 2
11:45
+1
Jaiun Simon makes regular free throw 2 of 2
16-5
11:19
+2
Zeb Jackson makes two point layup
16-7
11:04
Enoch Cheeks turnover (bad pass) (Zeb Jackson steals)
11:02
+2
Zeb Jackson makes two point dunk
16-9
10:44
+2
Posh Alexander makes two point layup (Enoch Cheeks assists)
18-9
10:17
Jaiun Simon shooting foul (Zeb Jackson draws the foul)
10:17
+1
Zeb Jackson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
18-10
10:17
+1
Zeb Jackson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
18-11
9:50
Nate Santos misses three point jump shot
9:48
Max Shulga defensive rebound
9:37
Zeb Jackson misses two point layup
9:35
Posh Alexander defensive rebound
9:29
Javon Bennett misses two point layup
9:27
Nate Santos offensive rebound
9:23
Javon Bennett misses three point jump shot
9:21
Nate Santos offensive rebound
9:21
Terrence Hill Jr. personal foul (Nate Santos draws the foul)
9:12
Enoch Cheeks misses two point layup
9:10
Amaël L'Etang offensive rebound
9:07
Javon Bennett misses three point jump shot
9:05
Michael Belle defensive rebound
9:05
Nate Santos personal foul (Michael Belle draws the foul)
8:43
Zeb Jackson misses three point jump shot
8:41
Max Shulga offensive rebound
8:27
Zeb Jackson misses three point jump shot
8:25
Max Shulga offensive rebound
8:25
Amaël L'Etang personal foul (Max Shulga draws the foul)
8:19
Terrence Hill Jr. misses three point jump shot
8:17
Max Shulga offensive rebound
8:13
Enoch Cheeks shooting foul (Terrence Hill Jr. draws the foul)
8:13
+1
Terrence Hill Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2
18-12
8:13
+1
Terrence Hill Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2
18-13
7:53
Zed Key misses two point alley-oop dunk
7:51
Rams defensive rebound
7:51
TV timeout
7:30
Max Shulga turnover (bad pass)
7:09
Malachi Smith misses two point jump shot
7:07
Joe Bamisile defensive rebound
7:00
Joe Bamisile turnover (traveling)
6:29
+3
Javon Bennett makes three point jump shot
21-13
6:04
Terrence Hill Jr. misses three point jump shot
6:02
Luke Bamgboye offensive rebound
5:44
Jacob Conner shooting foul (Max Shulga draws the foul)
5:44
+1
Max Shulga makes regular free throw 1 of 2
21-14
5:44
Max Shulga misses regular free throw 2 of 2
5:44
Zed Key defensive rebound
5:24
Javon Bennett misses two point layup
5:22
Zed Key offensive rebound
5:22
Joe Bamisile personal foul (Zed Key draws the foul)
5:06
Luke Bamgboye blocks Zed Key's two point layup
5:04
Joe Bamisile defensive rebound
4:58
Malachi Smith personal foul (Zeb Jackson draws the foul)
4:58
+1
Zeb Jackson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
21-15
4:58
+1
Zeb Jackson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
21-16
4:37
Javon Bennett misses three point jump shot
4:35
Nate Santos offensive rebound
4:33
+2
Nate Santos makes two point layup
23-16
4:08
+2
Jack Clark makes two point layup (Max Shulga assists)
23-18
3:36
Jacob Conner misses three point jump shot
3:34
Luke Bamgboye defensive rebound
3:28
+2
Jack Clark makes two point layup
23-20
3:28
Nate Santos shooting foul (Jack Clark draws the foul)
3:28
TV timeout
3:28
Jack Clark misses regular free throw 1 of 1
3:28
Javon Bennett defensive rebound
3:15
Malachi Smith turnover (bad pass) (Luke Bamgboye steals)
3:12
+2
Luke Bamgboye makes two point dunk
23-22
2:41
+2
Malachi Smith makes two point layup
25-22
2:19
Jack Clark offensive foul
2:19
Jack Clark turnover (offensive foul)
1:51
+3
Malachi Smith makes three point jump shot (Enoch Cheeks assists)
28-22
1:31
+3
Zeb Jackson makes three point jump shot (Luke Bamgboye assists)
28-25
1:02
Javon Bennett misses three point jump shot
1:00
Zeb Jackson defensive rebound
0:54
Joe Bamisile misses three point jump shot
0:52
Brandon Jennings offensive rebound
0:50
Javon Bennett shooting foul (Brandon Jennings draws the foul)
0:50
+1
Brandon Jennings makes regular free throw 1 of 2
28-26
0:50
+1
Brandon Jennings makes regular free throw 2 of 2
28-27
0:32
Enoch Cheeks turnover (back court violation)
0:14
Zeb Jackson misses three point jump shot
0:12
Javon Bennett defensive rebound
0:11
Joe Bamisile personal foul (Javon Bennett draws the foul)
0:11
Flyers 30 second timeout
0:02
Nate Santos misses three point jump shot
0:00
Brandon Jennings defensive rebound
0:00
End of period
2nd Half
DAYT
Flyers
51
VCU
Rams
49
Time
Team
Play
Score
19:45
Joe Bamisile misses two point layup
19:43
Enoch Cheeks defensive rebound
19:22
Max Shulga personal foul (Enoch Cheeks draws the foul)
19:07
Javon Bennett misses three point jump shot
19:05
Max Shulga defensive rebound
19:01
+2
Joe Bamisile makes two point dunk
28-29
18:42
Luke Bamgboye blocks Malachi Smith's two point layup
