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The Flyers are 6-0 this season when scoring 75 or more points. |
Tickets | Verizon Wireless Arena
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DAYTON BEGINS A-10 PLAY AT #24 VCU ON WEDNESDAY
The University of Dayton Flyers begin their 18th season in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a road game against the No. 24 Virginia Commonwealth Rams on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on WHIO, carried by WHIO Radio and is available with live streaming video, stats and audio at DaytonFlyers.com.
Dayton begins conference play with a 10-4 record, but will be playing its first ranked team this season. Four Flyers are scoring in double figures led by Kevin Dillard, a Cousy Award Watch List selection. Dillard leads Dayton in scoring (15.0), assists (4.9), three-pointers made (22), free throws made (72), free throw percentage (.867), minutes (32.3) and steals (20). Josh Benson averages 11.6 points, while Devin Oliver (10.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg) leads the Atlantic 10 in rebounding. Vee Sanford, UD’s second leading scorer (12.9 ppg). Sanford has been on fire of late averaging 17.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in his last three games.
ABOUT VCU
The No. 24 ranked VCU Rams enter conference play on a roll winners of nine straight. The Rams are also 8-1 at home and went 12-3 to open the year. VCU leads the Atlantic 10 in points per game (78.5), assists (16.4), offensive rebounding (15.0), three-pointers made (9.1) and turnover margin (+8.8). VCU is also first in the NCAA in steals per game. The Rams are led by the triple threat of Treveon Graham (14.8 ppg), Troy Daniels (13.9 ppg) and Juvonte Reddic (13.6 ppg).
SERIES STUFF
VCU leads the all-time series 3-1. This is the first time the two teams have met as conference opponents. VCU won the last time the two programs met, 69-58, back on Dec. 6, 1986.
A-10 OPENER TIDBITS
• The Flyers open Atlantic 10 play facing two ranked opponents in their first two games. The last time UD played ranked conference foes back-to-back was during the 1993-94 season when Dayton was a member of the Great Midwest Conference.
• This is Dayton’s 18th season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. It will be the third time the Flyers open A-10 play facing a ranked opponent - (#1 UMass in 1996, #22 Rhode Island in 2008).
• Dayton has won three straight A-10 openers and five of its last six.
• UD IS 11-6 all-time in A-10 openers.
SHOOT TO THRILL
The biggest difference between Dayton’s wins and losses this season have come from field goal shooting. In the victories, UD is shooting .492 from the field and .402 from beyond the arc. When Dayton loses, those numbers plummet to .380 from the floor and .220 from 3-point range.
NON-CONFERENCE NOTORIETY
With the victory over UAB, the Flyers finished with 10 or more non-conference victories for the seventh consecutive season.
OTHER NOTES
• The Flyers have been out-rebounded in their last four games, going 2-2 in that span. UD is 8-1 this season when out-rebounding its opponent.
• The Flyers are 6-0 this season when scoring 75 or more points.
• The Flyers will face VCU head coach Shaka Smart for the first time. Smart was Dayton’s Director of Basketball Operations from 2001-03.
• Dayton is 11-0 the last two years shooting 40 percent or better in a game from 3-point range.
• Dayton ranks fourth in defensive rebounding (31.3), field goal percentage (.458) and rebounding margin (+3.7) in the Atlantic 10 this season.
• Kevin Dillard, a First Team Pre-Season All-Atlantic 10 selection, leads UD in scoring (15.0), assists (4.9), three-pointers made (22), free throws made (72), free throw percentage (.867), minutes (32.3) and steals (20).
• The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame named Dillard to the national watch list for the 2013 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award.
• Dillard is 10th in the A-10 in scoring, ranks third in assists and fourth in free throw percentage. He has scored in double figures in all but one game this year.
• In the last two games Dillard is shooting 22-of-24 at the free throw line (.917), but 2-of-19 from the floor (.105). He laso has 14 assists and five steals in the two games.
• Dillard is also 22-of-22 in the last two minutes of the game this season at the charity stripe.
• Devin Oliver leads the Atlantic 10 and leads the Flyers in overall rebounding (8.6 rpg).
• Oliver recorded his fourth career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds at USC. The four double-doubles came in his last 10 contests.
• Oliver has scored in double figures in the nine of the last 12 games.
• Josh Benson is producing at a similar clip as he did last season before his torn ACL. In 2012-13, Benson is averaging 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and shooting .549 from the floor.
• Benson ranks eighth in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage and 30th in scoring.
• Vee Sanford has scored in double figures in six of his last eight contests.
• Sanford is shooting .854 at the free throw line, second-best on the team and fifth in the A-10.
