By Hal McCoy
Pittsburgh, PA. — When it comes time for the University of Dayton Flyers to play Virginia Commonwealth University in the Atlantic-10 Conference tournament championship game, it’s The Great Wall of China, the end of a long road, turn out the lights, the party’s over.
It happened again Sunday afternoon, as it always does. VCU rolled to a 70-62 victory in the final of the A-10 tournament.
VCU became the first A-10 back-to-back tournament champions since former league member Temple won it in 2008 and 2009.
And Dayton sees nothing buty the Ghosts of Tournaments past when they play VCU.
Dayton faced VCU in the 2015 finals. And lost.
Dayton faced VCU in the 2023 finals. And lost.
And the Flyers lost again Sunday, their third loss of the season to VCU and its rich heritage.
While the Flyers have won the Atlantic-10 tournament title only once, 2003 when it was played at UD Arena, the tournament is like a permanent residence for the Rams.
This was the third straight year they reached the finals, they’ve been in the title game in 10 of the last 13 seasons and their A-10 record is 27-9.
For everybody, including UD, anybody facing VCU in the A-10 tournament, becomes a bit player.
VCU constructed an early lead by throwing a bevy of treys at the Flyers. It seems everybody, including the student managers, can make threes.
Six different VCU players made three-pointers and by halftime the Rams made 8 for 14 in contructing a 40-25 lead.
Then things got strange in the second half.
Lazar Djokovic, VCU’s leading scorer all year at 13.8 points per game, didn’t score in the first half and didn’t score from the field the entire game. He made six three throws and he didn’t make the first one until only 80 seconds were left in the game.
In the first two wins over Dayton he scored 12 and 16.
And, believe this if you can, VCU grabbed a 15-point lead, 57-42, with 8:18 left. But over that final 8:18 the Rams did not score another basket — not one three, not one mid-range jumper, no one lay-up. Nothing.
That gave the Flyers a chance to come barging back and they almost did, should have.
But their free throw showing was abysmal and the Flyers shot as if wearing blindlfolds.
The Flyers were within 10 at 60-50, and VCU had a flurry of missed shots and turnovers.
From 4:11 to 2:23, the Flyers were 1 for 7l at the foul line and missed the front end of the one-and-one twice. Had they made them all for eight points they would have been within two at 60-58.
Instead, they remained nine behind, 60-51, and lost nearly two minutes off the clock.
Amael L’Etang missed the front end of a one-and-one at 4:11.
Keonte Jones missed the front end of a one-and-one at 3:03.
Jordan Derkack made one of two at 2:56.
Derkack missed two of two at 2:23.
Those missed freebies wiped away any thoughts and hopes for a UD comeback.
“To play three games in three days is always tough,” said Derkack. “I’m not exactly sure what it was, tired legs or taking beatings on the body. . .but we’ve made those all year.
“But we didn’t step up and we missed them today,” he added after scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds along with four assists to follow-up his 28-point explosing against St. Bonaventure in the semifinals.
Javon Bennett scored 14 to lead the Flyers, but was only 6 for 16 (2 for 5 from three). L’Etang was the only other Flyer in double digits with 12, but the 7-foot-1 Frechman had only three rebounds.
Derkack began his college career as a teammate with Bennett at Merrimack. Bennett transferred to Dayton and Derkack switched to Rutgers for a season before joining Bennett this season at UD.
But it has been four years without an NCAA appearance for Derkack.
“It has always been a goal of mine and Javon’s to win as many games as possibole to eventually put yourself into a position to play in the (NCAA) tournament,” said Derkack.
“It’s tough, y’know,” he added quietly. “I’ve been in college now for four years and didn’t make it. It’s tough for me to swallow that.”
UD coach Anthony Grant was sitting at the same table as Derkack and his words cut deeply.
“We missed a goal,” said Grant, referring to the NCAA. “That’s why you do this, why you go through what you go through during the season.
“For me, it’s about the guys I coach,” he added. “You want that experience for them. You heard Jordan Derkack say he’s played college basketball for four years and he has not experienced that. For me, that’s hard to hear that. That’s the goal. You want every player to have a chance to experience that.
But due to VCU’s long-range snipers and UD’s late failure at the foul line, that experience won’t be felt by any of the Flyers.
With no help from Djorkovic, three Rams stepped up with double-figures —Nyk Lewis with 17 (4 for 5 from three) Terrance Hill Jr. 14 and Michael Belle with 12.
“When you can have a variety of weapons like VCU has, that is probably the first thing that jumps out,” said Grant. “We’ve been unable from an offensive standpoint to generate any level of consistency against them this season.”
Against a team like that, with the talent they have, you have to score the ball,” he added. “We had a lot of droughts in the first half trying to manufacture offense against their size and length.”
VCU finished 11 of 24 from three to UD’s 7 for 21. The Rams were 13 for 19 from the foul line to Dayton’s dismal 9 for 17.
Free throws were anything but free for the Flyers, now 23-11 as they wait to see if the NIT (Not Important Tournament) wants them.