Crutcher on rematch with VCU: ‘Third time’s the charm’

VCU has a rich basketball history, much of it created in in the last two decades, and it can take a step toward another banner Friday. The Dayton Flyers stand in the way.

No. 7 seed Dayton (14-8) will play No. 2 seed VCU (17-6) at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. The game will be televised by the NBC Sports Network.

“We’re ready for that matchup,” said Dayton guard Jalen Crutcher after an 84-72 victory against Rhode Island in the second round Thursday. “They beat us twice, so the third time’s the charm.”

Dayton would have been a big underdog anyway because it lost 66-43 and 76-67 to VCU in the regular season. The game being on VCU’s home court, the Siegel Center, gives VCU an extra advantage, though the Flyers are just glad to have the opportunity.

“Both teams will be familiar with each other,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “VCU, from a defensive standpoint, creates a lot of issues with their press and with the way they guard you and disrupt you. We’ve got to do a good job of taking care of the basketball.”

Dayton has never beaten VCU in the A-10 tournament. VCU beat Dayton 71-65 in the 2015 A-10 championship game and 77-72 in the second round in 2018.

Injury news: Rhode Island played without its second-leading scorer, Jeremy Sheppard (11.1 points per game). He suffered an ankle injury Saturday in an 86-75 loss at Duquesne. Sheppard scored 33 points in the two regular-season games against Dayton.

Other games: No. 9 seed Duquesne (9-8) beat No. 8 Richmond 67-62 in the first second game Thursday at the Siegel Center. It was the first A-10 tournament victory for the Dukes since 2015.

The Spiders (13-8) finished a disappointing season with three straight losses, failing to win a game in the tournament for the first time since 2015.

• No. 5 Massachusetts (8-6) routed No. 13 Saint Joseph’s 100-66 at the University of Richmond’s Robins Center. The Minutemen made 15 3-pointers, the second most in A-10 tournament history. They became the fifth team to score 100 or more points in an A-10 tournament game and the first since 1999.

• No. 6 George Mason (13-8) beat No. 11 George Washington in the final second-round game 73-59. Jordan Miller scored 19 points for the Patriots.

Quarterfinal preview: Duquesne will play No. 1 seed St. Bonaventure (13-4) at 11 a.m. in the quarterfinals. The Bonnies beat the Dukes twice in January: 62-48 and 65-61. The Dukes haven’t reached the semifinals since they lost in the championship game to Temple in 2009.

• UMass will play No. 4 Saint Louis (13-5) at the Robins Center at 1 p.m. UMass lost 78-57 at Saint Louis in the regular-season finale Monday.

Saint Louis won the last A-10 tournament in 2019. UMass hasn’t reached the semifinals since 2013.

• George Mason will play No. 3 Davidson (12-7) at 5 p.m. at the Robins Center. The teams did not play in the regular season.