College Basketball

Dayton-Rhode Island Preview

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:29 p.m. ET

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While a trip to Dayton continues to be an unpleasant journey for Atlantic 10 teams, it's been a long time since the Flyers enjoyed visiting Rhode Island.

Riding their longest winning streak in nine seasons, the 19th-ranked Flyers aim for their first road victory over the Rams in 11 years when the longtime conference opponents meet Friday night.

Success has been elusive for the Flyers as the visitor in this series, as they've lost six straight at Rhode Island since a 56-49 win Jan. 27, 2005. Dayton (20-3, 10-1) will be making this stop with plenty of confidence, though, having won eight in a row for the first time since a 13-game run in 2007-08 and earning its highest ranking since November 2009.

The Flyers earned their 20th consecutive home win in conference play with Tuesday's 76-74 comeback victory over Duquesne. They closed the game on a 19-5 run sparked by defense, forcing the Dukes into six missed shots and four turnovers over the final 5:50.

''To hold them without a field goal for the last 5-6 minutes, that's what it takes,'' coach Archie Miller said. ''We showed the ability to dig down on a bad night.''

Such stretches have been the norm for Dayton, which limited its previous four opponents to 48.8 points and 33.3 percent shooting per game before Duquesne's 45.2 percent effort. The Flyers are allowing 61.3 points and 38.9 percent in conference play, the A-10's best marks.

Rhode Island (14-10, 6-5) has been sound at that end as well, having held teams to 62.4 points and 38.8 percent shooting over its last seven. The Rams have been less consistent offensively during that 4-3 stretch, though they've averaged 80.0 points and shot 53.4 percent in winning two straight after hitting a combined 30.9 percent from the field in low-scoring losses to St. Joseph's (64-55) and Massachusetts (61-56 in OT) from Jan. 30-Feb. 2.

A breakout from Four McGlynn helped the Rams to Tuesday's 81-63 win over George Mason, with the graduate transfer going 6 of 11 from 3-point range in a 25-point effort. McGlynn was 3 of 27 overall in averaging 5.7 points over his previous three.

Jared Terrell added 19 points and has averaged 22.2 in his last five as part of a backcourt that's been able to withstand November's season-ending knee injury to star E.C. Matthews. Fellow sophomore Jarvis Garrett is shooting a league-high 60.5 percent from behind the arc in conference play and scored a career-high 26 in Saturday's 79-62 win at La Salle.

"Jarvis and Jared continue to play at an extraordinarily high level for sophomore guards, and it was great to see Four see the ball go in," coach Danny Hurley said on his weekly radio show.

At home, the Rams are 11-3 and 5-1 against A-10 teams, though all of the league wins have come against schools currently under .500 in conference play. They've lost three straight to Dayton, which held Rhode Island to a 2-of-13 effort from 3-point range in a 56-52 win in last year's A-10 tournament semifinals.

Rhode Island finished 3 of 12 from beyond the arc in a 75-59 defeat at Dayton on March 3.

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