HENRICO, Va. -- Rhode Island overcame a game which saw 12 lead changes by besting Dayton 70-57 Thursday night at the Henrico Sports & Events Center.

“First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Dayton,” Rams coach Tammi Reiss stated. “Tamika (Williams-Jeter) had an excellent game and the kids played hard, coming out and playing zone in the first half, it threw us off. Second half I’m very proud of our team with the in-game adjustments we made and how they shared the ball, picked apart the zone and found our rhythm. I’m very proud of how we prepared and executed in that second half.”

Rhode Island was led by Dee Dee Davis who tied her season high with 23 points and 11 rebounds, good for her second double-double on the campaign.

“I think that our season has been sort of a roller coaster but being a sixth year, I have to keep my composure,” she remarked. “I tried to just do whatever my team has needed me to do from day one, so that’s helped me a lot.”

Though Rams guard Sophie Phillips was contained to five points, she matched Charise Wilson’s single-season program record with 82 three-point field goals.

“It definitely means a lot, but I wouldn’t be able to do it without my teammates,” reflected Phillips. “It’s March so we’re just trying to survive and advance at this point, so nothing really matters besides that.”

Teisha Hyman contributed 13 points off of the Rams bench. Rhode Island won the rebounding battle 45-34 and shot 53.8% from the field in the second half.  Davis’s 11 rebounds were one shy of matching a season high. Ines Debroise added 10 points towards Rhody’s effort.

Dayton had Arianna Smith post a 12-point, eight-rebound effort, while Nayo Lear recorded 10 points in her second start this season.

“We’ve been here two years and played Rhode Island twice and I want to say we probably lost on average by 40 points,” Dayton coach Tamika Williams-Jeter offered. “I thought tonight was about adjustments and keeping ourselves in the game and I thought our adjustments were great. We went zone, we packed the paint in on them a little bit, battled them on the boards, stayed with (Sophie) Phillips. We reality wanted to create a lot of pace and we got a lot of stops which created pace. Those adjustments were good and kept us in the game. From a game plan standpoint they did a great job, I thought the team showed up.”

The Flyers established an identity in the post as evidenced by a 36-24 paint margin. A rather even start of the game gave way to a 5-0 Rhode Island run as Dayton went 3:31 without a field goal.

An undeterred Dayton side responded with the quarter’s last six points over a span of 1:33, with Anyssa Jones converting a layup just before the buzzer, giving the Flyers a 14-13 advantage after 10 minutes. The Dayton run stretched to 10-0 into the second quarter, with Eve Fiala getting in the act off the bench and Lear finding her shot. Lear went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the opening half.

Rhode Island would ultimately bounce back, tying the lead on an Anaelle Dutat turnaround jumper. The 11-4 run was capped off by a pair of Debroise free throws.

When Destiny Bohanon sank a jumper of her own, the Flyers became the aggressors at the end of the quarter, they were rewarded by swishing the final six points in the period. Riley Rismiller’s jumper inside of the final minute was enough for Dayton to own a 31-30 halftime lead.

“We were really upset when we went into that locker room,” reflected Reiss. “The focus was defense and rebounding and pack the paint. They were scoring at will in the paint, so coming out in the second half, defending and rebounding was going to win the game. The adjustment was made and the intensity picked up so we got out and run a little bit and flow into our offense better.”

Though Dayton struck first in the third quarter, Rhode Island began to dictate play, responding with four quick points to take charge.

The Rams reached their high-point of a five-point advantage on two separate occasions, but a Bohanon layup separated the teams by a single possession, 51-48 heading into the decisive fourth quarter.

Rhode Island’s ability to be shot ready in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in creating separation. An 8-0 Rams run saw Davis hold her finish on a successful three-point attempt off of a turnover. This shot activated a Dayton timeout. While the Flyers went scoreless for 3:05 Hyman matched her teammate with another triple placing Rhode Island in front by double digits for the first time.

“It’s really a new season,” Davis opined. “Right after we played Dayton (in the regular season finale), the first thing (Reiss) said was ‘it’s a new season, it doesn’t really matter’. We saw a more intense team tonight, so hats off to them but it’s March so we had to compete hard and we did that.”

Time would not be on Dayton’s side and the Flyers were held to two field goals in the final five minutes.

Rhode Island has advanced to the quarterfinals where it will take on No. 3 Saint Joseph’s Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN Plus.