The Rhode Island men’s basketball team entered the Ryan Center on Friday night with the hopes of leaving with the Atlantic 10 regular season title, and the Rams did just that, riding a big second half to an 81-56 win over Dayton.

The game was nearly even during the first half, as URI went into the locker room leading 36-34.

Dayton shot exceptionally well in the first half, shooting 58 percent from the field (14-of-24), but was hindered by committing 13 turnovers.

The Rams were able to pull away in the second half with the help of sophomore guard Jeff Dowtin who shot 9-of-11 to earn his second consecutive 20-point performance, which earned him A-10 Co-Player of the Week honors.

Senior guard E.C. Matthews put up a stellar performance for URI as well, shooting 8-of-12 from the field for 18 points.

Senior guard Jared Terrell also played a large part in the team’s win both on offense and defense, adding 17 points from the field while also picking up 4 steals. This contributed to a season-high 15 steals for the Rams, which led to 24 points for Rhody off turnovers.

URI dominated after the half as it went on an 18-4 run during the first eight minutes of play, ultimately outscoring Dayton 45-22 in the second half.

The win gives the Rams their first A-10 regular season championship, and improves their to 23-4 overall and 15-1 in the conference.

URI will play its final home game Tuesday, hosting seventh-place Saint Joseph’s.

St. Bonaventure Wins 10th Straight After Close Win Over VCU

St. Bonaventure took on Virginia Commonwealth Saturday night, looking to extend its win streak to 10 games.

The Bonnies (22-6, 12-4 A-10) earned a 68-63 win over VCU (16-13, 8-8 A-10) to stay hot and remain in second place in the conference.

With under 13 minutes left to play in the second half, the score was deadlocked at 44. From there, the Bonnies were able to pull ahead, creating a gap the Rams were unable to bounce back from.

Junior forward Courtney Stockard led the team offensively with 21 points, shooting 6-11 from the field. He also stepped up on defense, picking up 14 boards and two steals.

Senior guard Jaylen Adams also performed well as he picked up 21 points and six assists for St. Bonaventure.

The Rams were unable to even it up, and the game ended with the Bonnies on top 68-63.

The Bonnies are set to face Davidson on Tuesday; the Wildcats sit one spot below them in third in the A-10 and are currently riding a four-game win streak.

Timothy Flaherty can be reached at [email protected].