There are two teams in the 2011 A-10 Tournament that have a spot in the NCAA Tournament all sewn up. One of them, is in danger of losing in the quarterfinals today. In a bit of a surprise result, Dayton is leading top-seeded Xavier 36-27 at the half.
Dayton used a balanced attack and excellent shooting from the field to build their early lead. They have six players that have scored between three and seven points, led by Chris wright and Chris Johnson. Overall, they are shooting 53.8% from the field, and have made 4-8 three point attempts.
Xavier isn't playing particularly poorly, they just aren't shooting the ball very well and they have an unfortunate matchup against a very hot Dayton team. As a team, they are only shooting 38.5% from the field and have made just three of eleven attempts from beyond the mark. They are also being outrebounded by Dayton 17-8.
Xavier is going to be in the tournament regardless of this result. But if Dayton makes it through this game and can win the conference tournament, it could shake up the bubble a little bit. We'll keep you posted.