KINGSTON, R.I. – Obi Toppin's whole family was there to celebrate his birthday with him: mom and dad, grandfather and grandmother, a pair of aunts and some godparents — all wearing shirts that were a mashup of the Dayton and Rhode Island logos.
And then there was his little brother, Jacob, playing for the other team.
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In what could be their last chance to face each other before he becomes an NBA lottery pick, Obi Toppin scored 20 points on Wednesday night to lead third-ranked Dayton to its 19th straight win, 84-57 over Rhode Island.
“It's amazing to be on the same court with my brother,” said the elder sibling, who turned 22 on Wednesday and had a birthday cake waiting for him on the team bus. “Not many people get that opportunity. I enjoyed every second of it.”
Trey Landers had 14 points and 14 rebounds to help the Flyers (28-2, 17-0 Atlantic 10) match their 1951-52 team for the school record in wins. With a victory over George Washington on Saturday, Dayton would finish unbeaten in its conference for the first time in program history.
“Last road game of the season, a chance to go undefeated on the road in conference play, we were excited about that challenge,” coach Anthony Grant said. “We’ve got one more game. We’ve got a chance to go undefeated in the league, which has never been done in the A-10.”
Jeff Dowtin scored 16 points for Rhode Island (20-9, 12-5), which has lost four of six after running off a 10-game winning streak.
Toppin had four dunks, including a windmill slam that made it a 19-point lead with 10 minutes remaining. When the teams met at Dayton on Feb. 11, Toppin had a similar dunk over his brother, a Rhode Island freshman.
But the younger sibling got a small bit of payback, blocking one of his brother's dunk attempts (though drawing a foul in the process).
“I love playing against him,” said Jacob Toppin, who finished with five points and seven rebounds. “We're both competitive. I told him, ‘You aren’t going to dunk on me again.'”
The reigning A-10 rookie of the year, Obi Toppin is averaging 19.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while making 63% of his shots from the field. His four dunks on Wednedsay gave him a school-record 100 for the season.
“I think he’s the best player in the country,” Grant said. “There’s a lot of really good players in the country. But what he’s been able to do, I don’t know anybody in the country who’s more deserving.”
BIG PICTURE
Dayton: The Flyers avoided the upsets that have hit many of the top-five teams this season and remain on track for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
URI: Fell to 0-2 vs. ranked teams this year. The Rams are hoping for a long run in the A-10 Tournament and perhaps another matchup of the Toppin brothers in the conference final.
“Maybe we'll play each other again,” Jacob Toppin said.
UP NEXT
Dayton: Finishes the regular season at home against George Washington on Saturday.
URI: Plays at Massachusetts on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
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