VCU beats Dayton 68-56 to win A-10 championship and NCAA bid

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen DeLoach had 13 points and 10 rebounds, Ace Baldwin scored 16 with seven assists and top-seeded VCU beat second-seeded Dayton 68-56 to win the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the first time in eight years.

The Rams head to the NCAA Tournament with an automatic bid and on a nine-game winning streak.

VCU had played in the A-10 final six times from 2013-21, winning just once in 2015 when it beat Dayton.

DaRon Holmes II tried to carry the Flyers to their first A-10 title since 2003 and first NCAA bid in six years. Holmes scored 28 points and had 16 rebounds. The 6-foot-10 sophomore was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.