Dayton back in tie for first place as Richmond suffers first A-10 loss

Richmond’s 11-game winning streak, which included a 69-64 victory against Dayton in Richmond on Jan. 27, ended because it shot a season-worst 16.7% (3 of 18) from 3-point range, while VCU overcame its only shooting struggles to make five 3-pointers in a key eight-minute stretch in the second half.

“We beat an excellent team,” VCU coach Ryan Odom told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “a well-coached team that we respect beyond measure.”

In the 10 seasons the A-10 has played an 18-game schedule, only the 2020 Flyers (29-2, 18-0) have lost fewer than two games. Only four other teams in conference history have finished the league schedule without a loss: Temple (18-0 in 1983-84 and 1987-88); Saint Joseph’s (16-0 in 2003-04); and George Washington (16-0 in 2005-06).

The A-10 champion has finished 15-3 the last two seasons and four times in the last seven years. In the last 10 years, the only team other than Dayton in 2020 to lose fewer than three games was VCU, which finished 16-2 in 2019.

Dayton beat St. Bonaventure 76-71 on Friday to complete a 2-0 week at UD Arena and now goes on the road for two games this week. It plays Saint Joseph’s (15-7, 5-4) at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia and VCU (14-8, 6-3) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Siegel Center.

Saint Joseph’s won 88-82 at La Salle on Saturday. It has won five of its last six games after an 0-3 start in A-10 play.

Richmond, Dayton, Loyola Chicago and VCU — in that order — are position to earn the top four seeds and double byes to the quarterfinals in the A-10 tournament, but five weeks remain in the regular season.

Richmond has five home games and four away games in its last nine games. Its toughest remaining games are road games against George Washington and George Mason and home games against VCU and Saint Joseph’s.

In addition to the two big road tests this week, Dayton has challenging road games at George Mason and Loyola Chicago and a home game against VCU in the final game of the regular season.

Like Dayton, VCU has five road games remaining. Road games against Massachusetts, Richmond and Dayton are its biggest tests.

Loyola has 10 games left, including a Sunday home game against Davidson. It also has two games against George Mason remaining and challenging road games against George Mason, St. Bonaventure and Davidson.

TUESDAY’S GAME

Dayton at Saint Joseph’s, 8 p.m., CBS Sports Network, 1290, 95.7