VCU's late rally stuns Dayton at UD Arena

Final Score: VCU 73, Dayton 68.
Location: UD Arena in Dayton.
Updated Records: VCU 19-5, 9-2 in A-10. Dayton 16-8, 6-5 in A-10.

In a nutshell: While VCU put together a 12-0 comeback run within the game's last three minutes, Dayton kept fouling Zeb Jackson, hoping to stop the rally. That strategy proved to be a folly. Jackson went 13-for-14 at the charity stripe. 

All in all, it was an excellent game that showcased a pair of A-10 teams worthy of NCAA tournament invitations. This impressive win on the road should earn the surging Rams some Top 25 poll ranking consideration; VCU has won eight of its last nine games. 

Stats: Jackson turned in what was a team-high 17 points. He added five boards. Max Shulga scored 16 points, pulled down eight rebounds and made three steals. And, Phil Russell chipped in 10 points.

NOTES (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.).

· The Rams used a 6-0 burst, including a breakaway slam dunk by graduate guard Joe Bamisile, to take a 31-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
· VCU trailed 59-54 until Shulga buried a 3-pointer from the wing with 3:17 remaining. That bucket sparked a 12-0 VCU run over the next 2:11 to put the Rams in control. A steal by graduate forward Jack Clark yielded a Shulga layup to tie the game at 59-59 with 2:46 left. Later, a Fermin traditional three-point play at the 1:39 mark expanded VCU’s lead to 64-59. Santos knocked down a 3-pointer to pull the Flyers within 69-66 with 27.7 remaining, but Jackson made four straight free throws in the final seconds to clinch the victory.
· The Black and Gold forced 19 Dayton turnovers and outscored the Flyers 30-9 on turnover opportunities.
· The Rams owned a 44-34 rebounding advantage on the glass, including 23-12 on the offensive glass.
· VCU connected on 17-of-19 free throw attempts and held the Flyers to 37 percent (19-of-51) shooting.
· VCU has won four of its past five games at UD Arena. The Rams lead the all-time series with Dayton 19-10.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will travel to D.C. to face George Washington at the Smith Center on Wed., Feb. 12. Tipoff at 7 p.m. TV: Peacock.

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