Duquesne Stops Dayton - Flyers Appear To Give Up...

Damian Saunders scored 19 points to lead four Duquesne players in double figures as the Dukes defeated Dayton 82-64 Sunday for their 10th consecutive victory.

Bill Clark scored 17 for the Duquesne (15-5, 7-0 Atlantic 10 Conference), while T.J. McConnell and B.J. Monteiro each added 15 points for the Dukes, who have won by an average margin of 18.2 points during their hot streak, with no game being closer than 12 points. With the victory, the Dukes pulled even with Xavier in the conference standings. Those two teams are set to meet Feb. 13.

Chris Johnson led Dayton (15-7, 3-4) with 13 points. Paul Williams added 11 points and Josh Benson had 10 for the Flyers, who have lost four of six since a six-game winning streak that began in December.

The Dukes, whose 19.2-assist average leads the nation, had 18, including five by Saunders.

Spiders Give Flyers Trouble At Home - 70-61

Kevin Anderson scored 26 points and Justin Harper added 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead Richmond to a 70-61 win over Dayton on Tuesday night.

The Spiders (16-5, 5-1 Atlantic 10 Conference) shot 45.8 percent from the floor (11 of 24) in the opening half, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range (62.5 percent) en route to a 30-28 halftime lead. Anderson scored 18 points on three 3-pointers and 7-of-11 shooting overall in the first half.

Chris Wright gave the Flyers (15-6, 3-3) their only lead of the game, 37-35, on a layup just over 3 1/2 minutes into the second half. Wright finished with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Richmond scored eight straight after Wright’s layup to take a 43-37 lead with 9:10 left to play. The Spiders stretched their lead to as many as 12, 56-44, with 6:59 to go.

Dan Geriot added 13 points for Richmond, which has won five of its last six games.

Parker Leads Dayton to Rout of Fordham - 91-57

Josh Parker scored 27 points, knocking down eight 3-pointers, to lead Dayton to a 91-57 rout over Fordham on Saturday night.

Parker scored all of his points from beyond the arc, except for three free throws. The Flyers (15-5, 3-2 Atlantic 10) dominated in the paint against the Rams (6-11, 0-5), outscoring them 40-18.

Dayton had 27 fastbreak points and scored 22 points off of Fordham’s 13 turnovers. The Flyers also collected 24 offensive boards, outrebounding Fordham 56-38.

Dayton went into halftime with a 37-20 lead and later pushed its margin to 41 on a layup by Josh Benson.

The Rams, who lost their seventh straight game, shot 33.3 percent (19 of 57) from the floor and made 6 of 20 shots from beyond the arc.

Chris Gaston led Fordham with 16 points and eight rebounds. Lamount Samuell had 13 points and Branden Frazier pitched in with 11.

30 YEARS of Futility Continues as Xavier Defeats Dayton

Tu Holloway scored 24 points, including a leaning bank shot with 31 seconds left, and Xavier extended one of college basketball’s longest streaks of futility by beating Dayton 81-76 on Saturday night.

The Flyers (14-5, 2-2 Atlantic 10 Conference) haven’t won on Xavier’s court since Jan. 10, 1981, going 0-26 over the last 30 years. No matter who’s coaching or playing, the Musketeers (11-5, 3-0) always manage to come out ahead at home.

Holloway’s bank shot put Xavier up 77-74, and the Musketeers made all four free throws down the stretch to close it out. Juwan Staten led Dayton with 17 points.

The Musketeers haven’t lost an A-10 game at home since Saint Joseph’s beat them 69-58 on Feb. 28, 2006.

A more astonishing streak was on the line in this one.

For 30 years, the Flyers have made the one-hour drive down Interstate 75 and lost. The two Catholic schools have been through 10 coaches during a streak that spans six U.S. presidents.

The Xavier students reminded the Flyers of their futility by hoisting large color photos of the six presidents under the basket by the Dayton bench.

This figured to be one of the Flyers’ best chances of ending the streak. Xavier is essentially down to seven healthy players with experience, leaving the Musketeers vulnerable in a physical, foul-filled game.

Dayton’s advantage was evident at the first timeout, when the Flyers substituted four players while Xavier changed only one.

It came down to the final minute.

Dayton had a chance to tie it, but Paul Williams missed a 3 from the right wing. Matt Kavanaugh got the rebound but Kenny Frease blocked his attempt at a putback and took the ball away. Frease was fouled and made both free throws with 9.4 seconds left to seal it, leaving him with 20 points.

Holloway put his mark on the game in the opening minutes, showing confidence in his shot. He hit a 3 and a fadeaway in traffic as Xavier pulled ahead 9-4, the biggest lead by either team in a back-and-forth opening half. There were five ties and eight lead changes in the half, which ended with Dayton ahead 32-31.

Xavier pushed the pace to start the second half. Jamel McLean had a pair of dunks and Holloway made four free throws during an 11-2 run that put Xavier ahead 42-36, matching the biggest lead of the game.

Xavier had chances to pad it, but Dante Jackson missed a pair of uncontested 3s. Jackson missed his first eight shots, six of them from behind the arc.

Jackson finally broke out with a 3 from the right corner that rebuilt Xavier’s lead to 65-59 with 5:17 left. Chris Johnson more than matched him, hitting back-to-back 3s from right in front of the Dayton bench that put the Flyers up 68-67 with 3:01 left.

McLean made four free throws, and Mark Lyons had a three-point play off a drive to the basket, putting Xavier ahead to stay 74-68 with 1:54 to go. Holloway’s leaning shot put the Musketeers in position to close it out.

Flyers Come From Behind Again To Defeat St. Joes

Chris Wright had 14 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season to lead Dayton to a 65-59 victory over Saint Joseph’s on Wednesday night.

Chris Johnson added 13 points for the Flyers (14-4, 2-1 Atlantic 10 Conference), who have won seven of their past eight games.

The Flyers went on a 12-4 run for a 60-52 lead with 4:31 remaining.

Saint Joseph’s (5-11, 0-3), which has lost three consecutive games, scored the next five points to cut the deficit to 60-57, and after Wright’s jumper, moved to 62-59 on C.J. Aiken’s dunk with 1:35 left.

The Hawks didn’t score again as Dayton hit three free throws.

The Hawks needed nearly 9 hours to reach Dayton on Tuesday because they were slowed by a snowstorm. They left campus at 1:45 p.m and arrived at the team hotel at 11 p.m. The bus driver dealt with wet snow beginning in Western Pennsylvania, and some roads were slightly covered by snow that extended the trip.

“I’m proud of the players and travel party,” Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli said. “We got on the bus and we just started rolling. Their choice of movies would leave you scratching your head, but I was able to read the paper and kind of ignore it.”

Dayton was 7 of 13 from beyond the arc (53.8 percent) in the first half, but went 0 for 4 in the second.

The Flyers won despite trailing at halftime for the ninth time.

Six Game Winning Streak Snapped at UMass - 55-50

Anthony Gurley scored 10 of his 15 points from the foul line as Massachusetts rallied on the free-throw line in a 55-50 win over Dayton on Sunday.

The Minutemen (9-5, 1-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) were 29 of 36 from the line (80.6 percent), overcoming bad shooting performances by both teams.

UMass shot 27.3 percent from the field (12 of 44), while the Flyers (13-4, 1-1) made just 16 of 56 shots (28.6 percent). The Minutemen’s 55 points were their fewest in a win since a 53-50 victory over Saint Louis on Feb. 24, 2007. They also held Dayton to the lowest shooting percentage of an opponent this season.

The Flyers pulled within two, 44-42, with 3:24 left, but Gurley hit a 3 and Javorn Farrell made a three-point play to help the Minutemen pull away with 47 seconds left.

Paul Williams had 12 points for Dayton, which saw its six-game winning streak snapped.

Flyers Win Six in a Row at St. Louis

Saint Louis made Dayton sweat for its sixth straight victory. Ailing coach Rick Majerus, who watched from the living room instead of the sideline, had to be a little bit pleased.

Chris Wright had 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Flyers (13-3) won an Atlantic 10 opener, holding off a late rally in a 60-50 victory Wednesday night.

“We always talk to our guys about battling through some adversity, and that’s what really makes a man and a team,” Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. “Obviously, they’ve had their share of it. I hope coach Majerus is doing better.”

Majerus gashed his left leg on the scorer’s table in Saint Louis’ loss to Bowling Green on Saturday and has an infection that the school anticipates will keep him out for three games. Associate head coach Porter Moser filled in for the 62-year-old Majerus, and Saint Louis twice cut the gap to six points in the late going.

Chris Johnson scored four of his 13 points in the final minute for the Flyers, who won their sixth in a row. Wright has two straight double-doubles and seven overall.

“I thought Chris Wright showed again why he’s one of the best players in this league,” Gregory said.

Four straight points by Johnson, a layup with 52 seconds to go and two free throws with 36 seconds left, made it 58-48 and helped Dayton put it away. Johnson has reached double figures in eight straight games.

Dayton Tops New Mexico in 2OT Victory - 76-73

Chris Wright had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Dayton overcame a 12-point early deficit to defeat New Mexico 76-73 in double overtime Saturday.

Paul Williams opened the second overtime period with a 3-pointer to give Dayton (12-3) a 74-71 lead, and Wright added two foul shots. That was enough as the Lobos (11-3) were 0 for 4 from the field and 2 for 6 from the free-throw line in the second OT.

Williams and Josh Parker added 16 points apiece and Chris Johnson 15 for Dayton, which has won five straight. The Flyers have won three games this season after trailing by double digits.

New Mexico led 33-21 at the 4:04 mark and 38-32 at halftime.

After the Flyers rallied to lead 64-58 with 3:54 left, the Lobos ended regulation on a 6-0 run.

Johnson Leads Flyers Over Mason 73-67

Chris Johnson, playing with a groin injury, scored 18 points to lead Dayton to a 73-67 victory over George Mason on Wednesday night.

Johnson, who missed Monday’s practice and was a game-time decision, scored 14 points in the first half and was 6 for 6 from the foul line as the Flyers (11-3) won their fourth consecutive game.

Cam Long led George Mason (9-3) with 20 points, but the Patriots never led in the second half and had their seven-game winning streak snapped.

Dayton trailed 27-22, but went on a 15-0 run for a 37-27 lead with 1:47 to play in the first half.

George Mason cut the lead to four points twice in the final 1:26, but Dayton was 6 of 8 from the foul line to end the game.

Juwan Staten scored a career-high 16 points and Chris Wright added 13 and nine rebounds for Dayton.

UD Opens Season with 77-66 Exhibition Win Over Grand Valey


Point guards Josh Parker and Juwan Staten led the Flyers with 14 points and 12 points, respectively, as the University of Dayton men's basketball team opened the season with a 77-66 exhibition win over Grand Valley State at UD Arena on Monday night.

The two newcomers shared time at point guard as Parker came off the bench to shoot 4-of-8 from three-point range with three assists while Staten shot 4-of-6 from the field and converted on 4-of-4 free throws with three assists.

In just 19 minutes of action preseason first team all-conference selection Chris Wright scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor. Junior Chris Johnson rounded out the group of four Flyers scoring double-figures with 11 points, including 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range.

Flyers Head to NIT Final Four After Dropping Illinios 77-71

Chris Johnson scored 18 points and Dayton used a strong start to beat Illinois 77-71 in an NIT quarterfinal Wednesday night.  The third-seeded Flyers (23-12) advanced to play Mississippi on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Rhode Island also is in the semifinals, giving the Atlantic 10 Conference two of the four teams remaining in the tournament. The Rams will face 2009 national champion North Carolina. Dayton jumped out to a 23-9 lead behind excellent shooting and never let up. The Flyers shot 48.1 percent from the field, including 8 of 18 from 3-point range.

"To be honest, after watching film and seeing them play, they should probably be playing in the [NCAA tournament]," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "I have an unbelievable amount of respect for [coach] Bruce [Weber] and the way his team played and the type of guys he has in his program. And that just means, to me, makes this victory even more satisfying because we beat a really good team on their home court."

The Illini's struggles to get back on defense led to quick, easy baskets for Dayton. Illinois trailed by as many as 16 points before cutting it to four with 18 seconds left. "They got the ball out quicker than we expected," said Illinois guard Demetri McCamey, who shot 6 of 19. "We knew it was going to be kind of like Michigan State. "The wings were flying, getting to the basket. They caused us problems in the first half."

Dayton used its deep bench to press man-to-man in the first half, subbing in waves and keeping players fresh. No Flyer played more than 30 minutes, while nine logged at least nine minutes. Six scored eight or more points. "We played with great intensity and energy today, and I thought that was the difference in the game," Gregory said. Johnson was 4 for 11 from the field but 9 of 10 at the foul line.

Dayton Downs Cincinnati in NIT Second Round 81-66

The Flyers (22-12) made eight of their first 12 shots from behind the arc. Rob Lowery led an early 3-point barrage that built a 17-point lead, and Dayton held on for a rough-and-tumble 81-66 victory over Cincinnati in the second round of the NIT on Monday night. The Flyers (22-12) made eight of their first 12 shots from behind the arc to get the big lead that held up. They'll play at Illinois in the quarterfinals.

 Cincinnati (19-16) was prone to long shooting slumps all season, and managed only two field goals during a roughly 10-minute span in the second half. Dayton brought its pep band, cheerleaders and a lot of fans, turning it into a high-energy game. The Flyers got the best of it early, pulling ahead 34-17 by hitting open 3s. Senior guard Deonta Vaughn scored Cincinnati's last 11 points in the half, cutting it to 41-36, but Cincinnati never managed to pull even.

Dayton Puts Away Illinois State - Headed to NIT 2nd Round


Chris Johnson scored 13 points and Dayton used a 19-1 second-half run to pull away and beat Illinois State 63-42 in the opening round of the NIT on Wednesday night. Chris Wright grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Dayton (21-12) to a 42-27 advantage on the boards. The Flyers will play at Cincinnati in the second round.  "How we went out there and played today and how we approached this tournament was really more a test of our character and pride in who we are and what we do," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "I didn't have any doubt how they would respond."

Dayton was coming off a conference tournament loss to Xavier that was typical of many of its losses this season. The Flyers squandered a 15-point lead in the second half, but this time the formula of a deep bench, relentless man-to-man defense and rebounding worked. The Flyers held the Redbirds to 33.3 percent shooting.

Osiris Eldridge, the Missouri Valley Conference's leading scorer, shot only 4 of 15 but led the Redbirds (22-11) with 12 points.Dayton saw its 13-point lead cut to 42-37 with 10:27 to play, but Johnson started the Flyers' huge run with a 3-pointer.Four minutes later, Marcus Johnson hit a 3-pointer and a pull-up jumper on consecutive trips to put the Flyers up 54-38 with 6:07 left. Dayton scored the next seven points before Eldridge hit a 3-pointer to end a nearly eight-minute field-goal drought for the Illinois State.

"We really defended well and rebounded well," Dayton's Chris Wright said. "That's a team that never quits. Down the stretch we knew we were going to have to play a lot harder." Gregory said his players studied film more than usual the past couple days and were ready for Eldridge and point guard Lloyd Phillips.

Wright Leads UD to Victory Over GW 66-51


Chris Wright had 14 points and 12 rebounds and sparked an early second-half surge to lead Dayton to a 66-51 victory over George Washington on Wednesday night. Dayton (14-4, 3-1 Atlantic 10 Conference) opened the second half with a 16-4 run to lead 54-30 with 14:35 left. Wright scored the Flyers’ first eight points of the half. Dayton led 38-26 at halftime, its stingy man-to-man defense holding George Washington (11-6, 1-3) to 37.5 percent shooting and forcing eight turnovers. The Flyers took 10 more shots than the Colonials but shot only 35.3 percent in the half. Leading scorers Wright and Chris Johnson were a combined 2 of 14. Dayton, which extended its school-record home winning streak to 30 games, also got 13 points from Marcus Johnson, 11 from Mickey Perry and 10 from Chris Johnson.

Xavier Defeats Dayton 78-74 - Futility Continues...


Dante Jackson scored a career-high 19 points Saturday, and Xavier was nearly flawless at the foul line, holding on for a 78-74 victory over Dayton that extended one of the longest streaks of futility in college basketball. Dayton (13-4, 2-1 Atlantic 10) hasn’t beaten the Musketeers on their home court since Jan. 10, 1981, losing in their last 25 trips down Interstate 75. The coaches, players and even the arenas have changed, but never the outcome. Jackson steadied the Musketeers (12-5, 4-0) while leading scorer Jordan Crawford was on the bench in early foul trouble. Crawford hit the clinching shot, a fadeaway jumper with 14 seconds left that made it 76-71. Marcus Johnson hit a 3 for Dayton with 1.9 seconds left, but Terrell Holloway made two free throws to finish it. Xavier went 24 of 30 from the free-throw line, while Dayton was 16-of-25. Johnson led Dayton with 16 points.

Dayton Uses "THE FORCE" To Down Fordham @ The Garden


Luke "The Force" Fabrizius scored 13 points and Dayton pulled away for a 74-58 victory over Fordham on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, the Flyers’ 11th win in their last 12 games. Chris Wright added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Flyers (13-3, 2-0 Atlantic 10), whose only loss in that stretch was by two points at New Mexico. Brenton Butler had 20 points for the Rams (2-13, 0-3), who lost their eighth straight and fell to 1-9 under interim coach Jared Grasso, who took over when Dereck Whittenburg was fired in December. Dayton took control with an 11-0 run that gave it a 52-39 lead. The middle two field goals of the run were dunks by Wright off alley-oop passes from London Warren. Fabrizius closed the run with a 3-pointer. Butler’s 3-pointer with 10:33 to play was the last field goal of the game for the Rams, who shot 33.3 percent (17 of 51).

Johnson Leads Dayton to OT Victory vs. Duquesne


Chris Johnson had career highs with 26 points and 20 rebounds and Dayton opened its Atlantic 10 conference play with a 78-72 overtime victory over Duquesne on Saturday. Johnson, who had his second double-double this season, carried the Flyers (12-3, 1-0) in the second half with 13 points and six in overtime. Dayton took a 70-63 lead on Johnson’s putback dunk with 2:43 left. Jason Duty had a chance to win the game for Duquesne (9-7, 0-2) in regulation when he caught an inbounds pass in the right corner with 5 seconds left and was fouled while trying to shoot a 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left. Duty made the first, but missed the next two. Chris Wright added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Dayton, and Marcus Johnson had 11 points. Damian Saunders led Duquesne with 21 points and 11 rebounds for his nation-leading 13th double-double of the season.

Defense Leads Dayton Past Ball State 59-35


Chris Wright scored 10 points and Dayton had its best defensive game of the season in a 59-35 victory over Ball State on Tuesday night. The Flyers (11-3) held the Cardinals (6-6) to 27.9 percent shooting (12 of 43) from the field—the lowest percentage by an opponent this season. The Cardinals, who made only 1 of 10 3-point shots, had their worst shooting game of the season. While it was the fewest points the Flyers allowed this season, it was also one of their lowest scoring outputs in a game marked by long possessions and few second shots. Dayton shot 45.1 percent (23 of 51) from the field as it extended its homecourt winning streak to 28 games.

#19 New Mexico Defeats Dayton


Roman Martinez has struggled with his shot the past three games. He found the range when he needed to Friday night, knocking down consecutive 3-pointers to erase Dayton’s only lead as No. 19 New Mexico beat the Flyers 68-66. “Ro hit two big threes,� Lobos coach Steve Alford said. “Those were big plays.� Martinez finished with 17 points, but down the stretch, it was Dairese Gary making the plays from the foul line for New Mexico (14-1). He scored 18 points with the final seven coming from the line in the closing 2 minutes.

Chris Johnson led Dayton (10-3) with 21 points, 11 of those in the final minute of play. Flyers coach Brian Gregory said the 3-pointers from Martinez were key plays. “He does all the things that he needed to do to help his team win,� he said. “There isn’t a coach in the country that wouldn’t take him.� The loss snapped Dayton’s eight-game winning streak. The game was a good one for the teams to prepare them for their respective conference seasons that are approaching. “I think both programs and teams benefit from games like this,� Gregory said. “We’re going to go into some tough environments over the next two months in our league against some high-quality teams and obviously we need to play better

The Flyers held a brief 37-36 lead early in the second half on London Warren’s breakaway dunk. After another basket, New Mexico quickly answered on consecutive 3-pointers by Martinez. Neither team really shot well, with New Mexico going 19 for 40 from the field and Dayton hitting a season-worst 21 of 62. The Flyers particularly struggled on 3-pointers, making 8 of 33, which also represented their worst shooting outside shooting this season.

Lowery Leads Dayton to 74-60 Win Over Boston U


Rob Lowery scored a career-high 23 points and Chris Wright added 19 as Dayton defeated Boston University 74-60 on Tuesday night in the first meeting between the schools. The Flyers (10-2) won their eighth straight game and 500th in the 40-year history of the University of Dayton Arena. Dayton has the third-best home winning streak in the nation at 27 games. In snapping the Terriers’ three-game winning streak, the Flyers held an opponent to under 40 percent shooting for the fifth straight game. Boston (5-7) shot 38.9 percent (21-for-54) from the floor and 10-for-30 from 3-point range. Dayton shot 52.9 percent (27-for-51) and 9-for-23 from long range, with London Warren dishing out nine assists. The Terriers, who trailed by as many as 15, drew within 54-50 with 14:30 left, but the Flyers responded with an 11-2 run.

UD Pulls Away To Beat Appalachian State 65-49


Mickey Perry scored 15 points and Chris Wright added 14 as Dayton defeated Appalachian State 65-49 on Monday night. Dayton (9-2), which shot just 35.6 percent from the field (22 of 57), used two strong scoring stretches en route to its seventh straight win and 26th straight win at home. The Flyers built a 22-12 lead in the opening 8 minutes, and later used an 28-8 run for a 61-46 advantage on Perry’s 3-pointer with 2:08 left to play. Dayton forced 17 turnovers and held the Mountaineers (7-5) to 35.6 percent shooting (16 of 45). The Flyers shot just 58.3 percent from the free throw line (14 of 24), as they were without two of their top three scorers. Marcus Wright scored 15 points off the bench for the Mountaineers and Donald Sims scored all 13 of his points in the first half.

Dayton Rolls Over Presbyterian 71-52


Chris Wright and Mickey Perry scored 15 points each to lead Dayton to a 71-52 victory over Presbyterian on Saturday night. Dayton (8-2) won its fifth straight game and 25th straight at home despite losing two starters to injuries in the first half. Forward Chris Johnson, the team’s second-leading scorer, was hit in the head less than 2 minutes into the game. Guard Marcus Johnson later sprained his left ankle and was helped from the floor. Perry and Josh Benson, who scored 10 points, led a bench that scored 43 points. Dayton used a 17-0 run midway through the second half to push its lead to 63-41. Dayton’s relentless man-to-man defense held the Blue Hose to 24.1 percent shooting from the floor in the second half and 33.3 percent for the game (18-for-54).

Flyers Garner National Attention Again - #20 in CBS Poll


The University of Dayton Flyers once again find themselves ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in this weeks CBS Sports Top 25 +1 poll for the week of December 13, 2009.  With victories over Georgia Tech & Creighton, close games vs. Villanova and Kansas State (both also ranked), Dayton is back in the spot light after rattling off 5 wins in a row.
 

Chris Wright Leads Dayton to 58-50 Win Over ODU


Chris Wright had 16 points and 12 rebounds to help Dayton hold off Old Dominion 58-50 on Friday night. The Flyers (7-2), who began a four-game home stand, took their 24th straight home court victory. The streak ties Dayton with Siena for third among Division I schools. Kansas has 47 and Pittsburgh is second with 25. Wright is 31-0 at home for the Flyers, who won their fifth game in a row. With Dayton leading 32-27 with 16:07 left, the Monarchs (6-4) used an 8-0 run to pull ahead 35-32. Wright tied it up on a three-point play, the first of his 10 straight points, giving the Flyers a 42-37 lead with 10:19 left. Old Dominion could get no closer than one the rest of the way. Wright had seven turnovers in the first half, none in the second. Marcus Johnson added 12 points for Dayton.

UD Fends Second Half Rally To Defeat George Mason


Chris Johnson had 14 points and Dayton held off a furious second-half rally by George Mason in a 56-55 win on Tuesday night. The loss snapped an 18-game home winning streak for the Patriots (4-5), who last suffered a home loss on Feb. 16, 2008, to North Carolina-Wilmington. The Flyers (6-2) won their fourth straight game. After a 3-pointer by Andre Cornelius brought George Mason within 54-52 with 8.7 seconds remaining, Johnson hit two free throws to make it 56-52 with 7.3 seconds left. Sherrod Wright, who led George Mason with 17 points, hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin. Dayton took a 35-19 halftime advantage after holding the Patriots without a field goal for 14:31 until Mike Morrison's layup just before halftime. George Mason then used a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 39-34, but could get no closer than two points.

Dayton Cruises To Victory 89-71 Over Lehigh


Chris Wright scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Dayton turned to its inside game in the second half for an 89-71 victory over Lehigh on Saturday. The Flyers (5-2) began to break down Lehigh's zone late in the first half and continued to score inside in the second half, building as much as a 29-point lead. Backup center Devin Searcy scored 10 of his season-high 13 points in the second half. Dayton, who has habitually fallen behind by double figures this season, trailed only 3-2 against Lehigh (3-5). The Flyers made four of their first five shots and went on a 13-4 run to end the half ahead 41-26. The Flyers' run was fueled by forcing turnovers, attacking the basket and making 6 of 7 free throws. Lehigh, which has never beaten at Atlantic 10 team, was led by C.J. McCollum with 16 points.

Flyers Hold Off RedHawks @ Miami (Ohio) 65-58


Chris Wright scored 14 points to lead Dayton to a 65-58 victory over Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday night. Chris Johnson added 13 points and eight rebounds as the Flyers (4-2) led the final 19 minutes of the game, but couldn't pull away. Dayton led 59-51 on Wright's layup, but Adam Fletcher scored on a layup and Rodney Haddix hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 59-56 with 1:15 remaining. Antonio Ballard hit two free throws to cut the lead to 59-58 with 34 seconds to play, but the Flyers held off the RedHawks (2-5) with six free throws in the final 31 seconds for the final margin. The RedHawks, who entered the game averaging 8.8 3-pointers, were 7-for-17 from the 3-point line (41.2 percent). Nick Winbush, Miami's leading 3-point shooter, was only 1-for-4 from beyond the arc and scored only five points. Haddix led Miami with 15 points and Kenny Hayes added 13 points.

Dayton Rallies to Beat Towson 74-69


Chris Wright scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Dayton overcame an 18-point deficit to beat Towson 74-69 on Saturday. Marcus Johnson finished with 12 points and Chris Johnson added 10 for the Flyers (3-2), who have won 22 straight home games—a school record. Dayton trailed 64-46 with 9:33 left to play before its man-to-man defense began to challenge shots and create fast-break opportunities. The Flyers’ comeback began to look possible when Marcus Johnson took a rebound the length of the court for a three-point play to trim Towson’s lead to 64-55.  Mickey Perry and Chris Johnson’s 3-pointers put the Flyers back in the game at 66-61 with 6:29 left. Chris Johnson and Paul Williams hit consecutive 3-pointers to complete Dayton’s comeback.

Dayton Returns Home to Host Towson Saturday @ 2pm


The University of Dayton Flyers return to UD Arena to host the Towson Tigers on Saturday from Tom Blackburn Court beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be carried by WHIO Radio and available with live streaming video, stats on Gametracker and streaming audio at www.DaytonFlyers.com.

Kansas State Bounces Dayton From Top 25 - 83-75


Kansas State bullied their way to an 83-75 victory over No. 18 Dayton on Sunday in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.  With dueling chants of "Let's Go Flyers" and "Go State" reverberating through a less than full arena, the quicker Wildcats (4-1) built a 35-28 lead by halftime and managed to hang onto it during a physical second half.  Chris Johnson led the Flyers (2-2) with 16 points and six rebounds, while Marcus Johnson added 14 points and Paul Williams 10. The trip to the Caribbean wasn't all bad for Dayton, though, which defeated No. 21 Georgia Tech in the first round of the tournament. "We needed to play with a little more poise and we needed to play with a little more confidence," said Dayton coach Brian Gregory. "You can't play the way we played against a team of that caliber."

Villanova Holds Off Last Minute Surge From Flyers 71-65

Corey Fisher scored 18 points and was perfect in four trip to the foul line in the final minutes to help the Villanova Wildcats (4-0) hold on for a 71-65 victory Friday in the second round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.  After trailing by 18 early in the second half, the Flyers (2-1) trimmed the lead to 62-60 with 2:23 left when London Warren converted two free throws after he was fouled on a breakaway. But Villanova, which finished 22 of 29 from the line, scored the rest of its points at the charity stripe, including four from Fisher in the waning moments.  Villanova coach Jay Wright praised the aggressiveness that helped the Flyers climb back into the game. "It was our night tonight but they're as good as anyone in the country," he said. "They do as good a job as anybody we play against at driving against the shooter."  The Flyers climbed back into the game by shooting 7 for 16 from behind the 3-point line in the second half. Luke Fabrizius led the rally for Dayton, scoring nine of his 16 points in the second half along with his nine rebounds. Chris Wright added 15 points and Chris Johnson had 13. "We were sloppy. Sloppy offensively," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "Give them credit. They did a lot of things that threw us out of sorts."

#18 Dayton Prevails 63-59 Over #21 Georgia Tech


Sophomore sub Paul Williams scored seven points in the final 51 seconds, and Dayton finished the game on a 13-2 run to knock off Georgia Tech, 63-59, in the first round of the Puerto Rico Tip-off Classic Thursday. Trailing 57-50 and looking like they were headed for a certain defeat, the Flyers went on an 11-0 rampage to take a 61-57 lead with 32.8 seconds to go. Williams hit a 3-pointer to put the Flyers ahead and then made both ends of a one-and-one for the four-point spread.  Dayton advances to play the victor of the George Mason v. Villanova game tomorrow afternoon.

#21 Dayton Downs Creighton 90-80 In Season Opener


Chris Johnson had a double-double, and Chris Wright led a second-half surge that carried No. 21 Dayton to a 90-80 victory Saturday over Creighton in an opening matchup of teams that won 27 games apiece last season. Dayton, ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 1967, overcame a 10-point deficit in the first half and regrouped, pulling away in the closing minutes.

Game Recap Courtesy Yahoo Sports

Dayton Heads Into Home Opener With #21/22 Ranking

UD will open its 2009-10 regular season on Saturday, Nov. 14 when the Flyers welcome the Creighton Bluejays into town. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Steaming Video will be available on via DaytonFlyers.com and streaming audio via 1290 WHIO will be available here if you are traveling and able to listen on your iphone, palm pre or windows mobile device.

Streaming Video
Streaming Mobile Audio

Expectations Don't Bother Flyers: An ESPN Look...

For years, Dayton has been the sleeper program that has never quite broken through. With nearly everyone back from a 27-win team, is this finally the season the Flyers make national waves?  ESPN's Dana O'Neil has a nice article about The University of Dayton Men's Basketball Program.

ESPN Feature Article Here

Marcus Johnson Leads Flyers To 71-61 Victory

Senior Marcus Johnson scored 13 points off the bench to lead the No. 21/22 University of Dayton Flyers to a 71-61 exhibition win over the Northern Kentucky Nourse. Dayton's Mickey Perry and Chris Wright each scored 11 points, Chris Johnson had 10 points and four rebounds and London Warren dished out nine assists. The Flyers played much better defensively in their second exhibition limited NKU to 40 percent shooting from the floor and forcing 14 turnovers. The Norse, ranked 20th in the nation in the preseason Division II poll, was led by a 15-point effort from Scott Bibbins. David Palmer added 13 points and five rebounds, while Chris Knight chipped in with 10 points and six boards.

2009-10 Season Starts w/ Exhibition Win Over Ferris State

Five players scored in double figures as the University of Dayton men's basketball team opened the exhibition season Tuesday with an 88-73 victory against the Division II Ferris State Bulldogs. Sophomore Chris Johnson had a huge night for the Flyers, finishing the game with 14 points and nine rebounds. The rest of the scoring was UD's typical balanced attack. Senior Mickey Perry led the team with 16 points, while senior Kurt Huelsman added 15 of his own. Sophomore Luke Fabrizius finished with 14 points and Paul Williams tallied 11.

Dayton Heading To The Dance - 11 Seed vs. West Virginia

The NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Tournament pairings have been announced, and the University of Dayton Flyers are headed to Minneapolis, MN to face the West Virginia Mountaineers on Friday.  Game time to be announced late tonight or early tomorrow.
 

UD Comes Up Empty Against The Dukes 77-66

Aaron Jackson and Melquan Bolding scored 24 points apiece and Duquesne moved within a victory of its first NCAA tournament berth in 32 years with a 77-66 decision over Dayton in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament on Friday night. Eric Evans added 12 points as the seventh-seeded Dukes (21-11) won their third straight tournament game and posted their second straight upset in knocking off the third-seeded Flyers (26-7). They beat second-seeded Rhode Island in the quarterfinals. Duquesne will play fourth-seed Temple (21-11) on Saturday night for the A10 title and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. The Owls upset No. 19 Xavier 55-53 in the opening semifinal at Boardwalk Hall in this casino resort. Mickey Perry had 15 points to lead Dayton, which beat Duquesne twice during the regular season. Charles Little added 13 points and Chris Wright had 12 for the Flyers, who will have to wait until Sunday to find out whether they will get their first NCAA tournament berth since 2004.  

Flyers Win in A10 Quarterfinals v. Spiders


Marcus Johnson scored 15 points, including two 3-pointers during a crucial second-half stretch, to lead third-seeded Dayton to a 69-64 win over sixth-seeded Richmond in the Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals Thursday night.  Luke Fabrizius had 11 points and Chris Johnson tallied 10 for the Flyers (26-6), who will play Duquesne in a semifinal game Friday night.  Kevin Anderson scored 24 points to lead Richmond (18-15). Kevin Butler also reached double figures for the Spiders with 13 points.  Dayton took its largest lead of the game when Paul Williams made a pair of free throws to put the Flyers ahead 53-44 with 8:39 remaining. Anderson's 3-pointer capped a 9-1 Richmond run that pulled the Spiders within one 54-53 with 6:33 remaining.  But Johnson hit consecutive 3-pointers as Dayton scored eight of the next nine over 2:34 to take a 62-54 lead, and Richmond never got closer than five after that.

Fabrizius Has Breakout Game - UD Over Dukes


Luke Fabrizius scored a career-high 17 points and Dayton set a school record with its 25th regular-season win, beating Duquesne 74-61 on Saturday night. Chris Wright added 11 points and Charles Little 10 for the Flyers (25-6, 11-5 Atlantic 10). They finished the year 18-0 at the University of Dayton Arena, the first time they had ever accomplished that feat. Aaron Jackson had 16 points and Bill Clark and B.J. Monteiro each had 12 for Duquesne (18-11, 9-7), which watched the Flyers hit 65 percent of their shots in the first half to build a 49-36 lead and never trail again. Dayton clinched a tie for second in the Atlantic 10, but will be the No. 3 seed in next week's conference tournament. The Flyers also set a school record for attendance, celebrating by going up into the stands after the game to slap high fives with their fans.

Flyers Take Owls 70-65


Mickey Perry, Marcus Johnson and Charles Little each hit two foul shots in the final 41 seconds to help Dayton hang on for a 70-65 victory over Temple on Saturday. Temple (17-11, 9-5 Atlantic 10) had trailed by 16 points with less than 6 minutes left before putting together a furious comeback that drew the Owls to 64-59 with just under a minute remaining. But Perry hit two foul shots with 41 seconds left. After Dionte Christmas, who matched Ryan Brooks with 20 points for the Owls, hit a 3-pointer, Johnson hit two more free throws with 16 seconds remaining. Christmas hit another 3 with 9 seconds left before Little made both of his foul shots with 5 seconds remaining to close the scoring. Chris Wright scored 20 points, Johnson had 14 and Perry 10 for the Flyers (24-5, 10-4). London Warren added nine rebounds, eight assists and four points.

Last Second Shot in OT Gives RI Edge Over UD

Marquis Jones' layup at the buzzer gave Rhode Island a 93-91 overtime victory over Dayton on Wednesday night. The Rams (21-8, 10-4 Atlantic 10) were led by Jimmy Baron, Keith Cothran and Kahiem Seawright, who each scored 19 points. Delroy James added 18, while Jones finished with 13. Dayton, which fell out of the Top 25 earlier in the week, dropped its second consecutive game. Marcus Johnson led the Flyers with 21 points and Chris Wright added 17. Dayton (23-5, 9-4) shot 55.2 percent from the field to the Rams' 51.7 percent. Rhode Island led 52-44 at halftime, but the Flyers tied the game at 78-78 with 27 seconds remaining in regulation on a layup by London Warren. Johnson tied the game again at 91 on a 3-pointer with 12 seconds to go, but Jones followed with his game-winner.

Dayton Comes Up Short Against SLU

Kevin Lisch knew points would be at a premium Saturday night against No. 25 Dayton.  But he came through for Saint Louis when it mattered most, making five three throws in the last 40 seconds and finishing with 16 points in the Billikens' 57-49 victory.  "It's always a hard-fought, tough-nosed game," Lisch said. "You've just got to be in there for the long haul." 
Tommie Liddell added 10 points and five assists for Saint Louis (17-10, 8-5 Atlantic 10), which has won six of seven.  "Saint Louis right now is playing as good as anyone in the league, maybe better," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "To be honest, for our league, it's great to see. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for Coach (Rick) Majerus. To see this team grow has been kind of fun." Dayton did not have a lot of laughs on the offensive end Saturday, as the Flyers made just 17 of 55 shots. Chris Wright led the Flyers (23-4, 9-3) with 11 points, and Charles Little and Marcus Johnson added 10 points each. The loss was Dayton's second in 11 games.

UD Wins 17th Straight At Home vs. Richmond

Chris Wright had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead Dayton to a 69-63 win over Richmond on Saturday night, with the Flyers setting an arena record with their 17th consecutive home victory. The Flyers have won more than 17 home games in a row, but not since moving into the University of Dayton Arena in 1969. London Warren added 10 points and six assists for the Flyers (23-3, 9-2), who remained tied with Xavier for first place in the Atlantic 10. Kevin Anderson scored 24 points and David Gonzalvez had 16 for Richmond (12-13, 4-6). Dayton never trailed after the opening 2 minutes of the game, but the Spiders were behind just 57-53 with 5:45 left in the game after a three-point play by Gonzalvez. Charles Little followed with a three-point play of his own and the Spiders never got closer than five points again.

Dayton Clobbers #14 Xavier - 71-58


Chris Wright led a balanced offense with 19 points, and Dayton ended its six-game losing streak against No. 14 Xavier with a 71-58 victory Wednesday night in a matchup of the Atlantic 10's set of 20-win teams. Using its depth and balance to full advantage, Dayton (22-3, 8-2) led the entire game against the defending two-time conference champions, who now have to work to make it three in a row.   Xavier has lost back-to-back games for the second time this season, denting the Musketeers' chances of a high seed in the NCAA tournament. The regular-season A10 title is now up in the air, too. The southwest Ohio rivals play again on March 5 in Cincinnati. Wright scored the last nine points for Dayton, which joined Duke and Duquesne as the only teams to shoot 50 percent from the field against Xavier.

Dayton suffered a setback to its pressure defense when guard Rob Lowery hurt his right knee midway through the first half and didn't return. He went down hard after getting off a shot in a crowd of defenders, and cradled his knee for several minutes. He didn't put any weight on the leg as he was helped off. Lowery apparently hurt a tendon in the knee. He'll have surgery on Thursday to find the extent of the damage, probably ending his season.

This was Dayton's second victory vs. a top 25 Team this year - the other win coming against Marquette.

Flyers Suffer Setback at Charlotte

Lamont Mack scored 20 points, DiJuan Harris added 13 points and a career-high 12 assists and Charlotte continued a wild weekend of upsets in the Atlantic 10 Conference by stunning Dayton 79-66 on Sunday.  A day after No. 9 Xavier lost to Duquesne, the Flyers (21-3, 7-2) wasted a chance to move into a first-place tie with the Musketeers before their rivalry game on Wednesday. Behind two spectacular alley-oop dunks by Charlie Coley on feeds from Harris, Charlotte (8-14, 2-6) rallied from a six-point deficit early in the second half. RaShad Coleman added 14 points and had two putback dunks and two free throws in an 18-3 run by Charlotte to take control.  Chris Johnson scored all 13 of his points in the first half and Charles Little added 11 points for Dayton, which missed 11 of 20 free throws and had its seven-game winning streak snapped.

Johnson Slams Home Victory at LaSalle

Marcus Johnson jammed in a missed shot with 1.8 seconds left to give Dayton a 63-61 victory over La Salle on Wednesday night. Johnson had 16 points and Chris Wright 14 for Dayton (21-2, 7-1 Atlantic 10), which won its seventh straight. Rodney Green had 25 points and Ruben Guillandaux 12 for the Explorers (12-9, 3-4). The Flyers, who led by as many as 17 points in the first half, held a 60-54 lead with 3:35 left. Green then scored five straight points, cutting the lead to 60-59. After a free throw by Wright, Green's 6-foot turnaround jumper tied the score at 61-all with 46 seconds remaining. But La Salle never got another shot, and Johnson's follow-up basket off a Wright runner was the winner. Leading 16-12 early in the first half, Dayton went on a 17-4 run to lead 33-16 with 4:55 left in the half. Dayton held a 39-28 advantage at the break, hitting on 13 of 23 shots, while La Salle shot 8-for-20 and committed 11 turnovers. The Flyers lead 21-13 in the series and have won 13 of 15.

Flyers Defeat Hawks - 69-58

Chris Wright scored 14 points as Dayton took control early in the second half on their way to a 69-58 win over Saint Joseph's Sunday afternoon. Marcus Johnson hit two 3-pointers and Kurt Huelsman made a jumper just after halftime to expand Dayton's lead to 47-34 with 16:35 to play. Saint Joseph's (12-8, 5-1 Atlantic 10) got to within nine points when Tasheed Carr made two free throws with 10:11 left, but the Hawks couldn't get any closer. Johnson and Charles Little each scored 13 points for Dayton (20-2, 6-1), which has matched its best start ever and hasn't lost at home this season. Carr led Saint Joseph's with 14 points, while Ahmad Nivins grabbed 13 rebounds but scored just 12 points, his season-low. Darrin Govens added 11 points.

Dayton Prevails in Struggle vs. Billikens

Marcus Johnson's dunk off an alleyoop pass from Rob Lowery with 1:06 to play gave Dayton a 47-46 victory Thursday night in a defense-dominant struggle with Saint Louis. Chris Wright had 16 points for Dayton (19-2, 5-1 Atlantic 10), and Charles Little had 14. Kwamain Mitchell led the Billikens (11-9, 2-4) with 15 points, but his 8-foot jumper with 4 seconds left fell off the rim. Dayton trailed 28-27 at the half en route to a record 15th straight victory in UD Arena. The Flyers are 8-0 this season in games decided by five points or less, and this one included five ties and 11 lead changes.

UD Now 18-2 - 14th Straight Win At Home

Chris Wright scored 19 points and Chris Johnson added 17 as Dayton beat St. Bonaventure 80-68 Sunday afternoon to win their 14th straight at home. Dayton (18-2, 4-1 Atlantic 10) went in front for good during a 14-1 first half run that featured a Rob Lowery 3-pointer and ended with a dunk from Wright that put the Flyers ahead 30-20 with 4:03 left in the half. Dayton scored nine straight points early in the second when Lowery hit another 3-pointer, Wright dunked and Marcus Johnson followed with two dunks of his own to put Dayton up 43-28 with 16:26 left. St. Bonaventure (11-8, 2-4) would only get as close as eight the rest of the way. Chris Matthews scored 28 points, including eight 3-pointers, and Jonathan Hall added 12 for the Bonnies, which lost for the first time on the road this season. Lowery and Marcus Johnson each finished with 15 points for Dayton.

Strange Ending As Dayton Prevails Over GW

Marcus Johnson made three free throws - the first two after a technical foul on George Washington for having six players on the court - as Dayton escaped with a 63-61 victory on Thursday night.  The Colonials were assessed the technical when the Flyers (17-2, 3-1 Atlantic 10 Conference) attempted to inbound the ball at their own end with 21.9 seconds left. Wright made both free throws for a 62-61 lead. He was fouled again when Dayton inbounded and made the first of two free throws with 21.3 seconds left. Tony Taylor missed a 3-point attempt with 2.5 seconds left and Rob Diggs' putback rimmed out as the horn sounded. Johnson had 17 points to lead Dayton, which has won three straight and nine of its last 10. Chris Wright added 15 points.

Dayton Tops Dukes 78-69

Rob Lowery scored 16 points and directed a 12-point run that started late in the first half and carried into the second, helping Dayton end Duquesne's seven-game winning streak with a 78-69 victory Saturday night. Bill Clark scored 19, Aaron Jackson 18 and Damian Saunders 13, but Duquesne (12-5, 3-1 in Atlantic 10) was denied its first eight-game winning streak since the 1971-72 season. The Flyers (16-2, 2-1) trailed 38-35 before going on the run, which made it 47-38 after Luke Fabrizius' 3-pointer with 16:56 remaining. Dayton, which shot 58 percent (29-of-50), never led by fewer than three points after that while relying on a defense that limited Duquesne to 42.6 percent shooting (26-of-61).  Charles Wright scored 15, Marcus Johnson and Fabrizius had 11 each and Chris Johnson scored 10 for the Flyers, who were upset by Duquesne the last two seasons.  With Duquesne applying full-court pressure to try to come back, Dayton broke the press to dunk for three consecutive baskets in a 90-second stretch - by Chris Johnson, Wright and Little - to make it 74-63 with 2:02 to play. The Flyers' seven dunks gave them 61 for the season, matching a school record with 13 games remaining.

Dayton 72, Fordham 71

Rob Lowry scored 13 points and made a go-ahead layup with 5 seconds to play Wednesday night, rallying Dayton to a 72-71 victory over Fordham. The Flyers (15-2, 1-1 Atlantic 10) sealed the win when Lowry stole the ball from Jio Fontan with 2 seconds left, preserving Dayton's streak of 13 straight wins at home. Fordham (2-13, 0-3) overcame an 11-point deficit in the second half. Fontan made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left that cut it to 70-69, and the Rams forced a turnover. Trey Blue was fouled and made both shots to put Fordham up by a point with 10 seconds to go. Lowry dribbled down the court and drove through the lane for his winning layup.

Six Game Winning Streak Snapped At UMass


Ricky Harris scored a game-high 23 points as Massachusetts used a strong second half to beat Dayton, 75-62, in an Atlanic 10 Conference opener Saturday. The Minutemen (6-8, 1-0 Atlantic 10) led by only two points at halftime but vaulted to a 24-9 edge in the first 10 minutes of the second half to take 59-42 lead. The Minutemen had a 15-0 run over 6:43 in the second half while Dayton went without a field goal over an 8:36 span. The Flyers (14-2, 0-1 Atlantic 10) saw their six-game winning streak snapped. The game was tied four times in the first half, the last time at 33. A hoop by Harris put the Minutemen on top 35-33 at the break.

Dayton 45, Miami (Ohio) 40

Charles Little sparked a rally with 4:31 left in the game to help Dayton surge past Miami of Ohio, 45-40, in a close matchup Tuesday at the UD Arena. Dayton (14-1) outscored Miami (7-5) 10-4 in the game's waning minutes, with Little's layup putting Dayton back on top 37-36. The Flyers never lost the lead after that. Chris Wright was the game's top scorer with 14 points and six rebounds for Dayton. Marcus Johnson added 12 points, and Little contributed eight for the Flyers. It was Johnson's sixth straight game scoring in the double figures. The lead swung back and forth 15 times during the tightly contested game, and the teams were tied 17-17 at halftime. It was the final non-conference game of the year for both teams.

Johnson Leads Flyers to Victory Over Toledo

Marcus Johnson scored 21 points, including several key 3-pointers, as Dayton went ahead late in the first half and hung on to beat Toledo 77-63 Friday night. Charles Little's dunk put the Flyers (13-1) ahead 45-30 early in the second, but Toledo (2-11) narrowed it with 13:35 left when Justin Anyijong hit a 3-pointer to cut Dayton's lead to 47-42. Johnson responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Flyers another comfortable margin, and then made a layup and another 3-pointer at about the eight minute mark to stave off another Toledo threat and put Dayton ahead 60-49. The Rockets could only get within nine the rest of the way. Rob Lowery scored 13 points, London Warren had 11 and Little added eight for the Flyers.

Flyers Down Patriots For 12th Victory

Rob Lowery stole the ball for a dunk to tie the game with 2:09 to play, and Chris Johnson followed with a 3-pointer to put Dayton ahead for good, as the Flyers beat George Mason 66-62 on Tuesday night. The Patriots (8-3) led for most of the second half, pulling to a 5-point advantage on a 3-pointer by Dre Smith with 4:41 left to play, but Dayton (12-1) went on an 11-2 run to steal the win. The Flyers were led by Lowery and Marcus Johnson, who had 13 points each. George Mason's Dre Smith had 22, and Cam Long added 15. The Patriots held the lead for longer than 19 straight minutes around the break, pulling ahead by as many as 7 points. They started the second half with a 35-30 lead. It was the 27th consecutive non-conference home win for the Flyers, who have not allowed any team to shoot higher than 45 percent form the field this season.

Dayton Scatters Thundering Herd 62-50

Chris Wright had 16 points and Marcus Johnson added 11 to lead Dayton to a 62-50 victory over Marshall on Tuesday night. It was the third win for the Flyers (11-1) since their lone loss at Creighton. Chris Lutz had 14 points for Marshall (6-5). Marshall trailed 25-22 at halftime but started the second half with a 3-pointer by Lutz, and the Thundering Herd kept it close, going to 40-40 on a 3-pointer by Darryl Merthie at 12:28. But Marshall went scoreless for the next 9 minutes while Dayton made a 12-0 run that included two baskets by Wright and four free throws by Stephen Thomas.

Little Leads Flyers To Big Win 75-44

Charles Little contributed 15 points and four Dayton players reached double figures Saturday night as the Flyers defeated UNC-Greensboro 75-44. Little, who was 6-of-6 shooting, scored dunks on three straight possessions in the second half, and Dayton (10-1) set a school record with nine dunks. The Flyers are 7-0 at home. Mikko Koivisto paced the 1-8 Spartans with 10 points. UNC-Greensboro was limited to 28.9 percent shooting. Chris Johnson scored 12 while Marcus Johnson and Luke Fabrizius each had 10 for Dayton. UNC-Greensboro challenged Dayton defensively early in the game. It was 7-7 before Fabrizius hit a 3-pointer with 11:37 left in the first half. That set off a 15-3 Dayton run. The Flyers led 37-15 at the half and surged ahead by as much as 35 points late in the second half.

UD Defeats Coppin State 73-56

Chris Johnson had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead Dayton to a 73-56 win over Coppin State on Saturday night. Marcus Johnson added 15 and Chris Wright 13 for the Flyers (9-1), who shot about 43 percent from the field. Coppin State (1-6) led by eight points with about seven minutes to go in the first half, but Dayton then took control of the game and went into halftime with a 35-29 lead. Tywain McKee had 26 points for Coppin State, which shot only about 29 percent from the field and about 16 percent (3-of-19) from behind the 3-point line. Chuka Iloegbu added 12 points for Coppin State.

Flyers Suffer First Loss at Creighton 77-59

Booker Woodfox scored 21 points to lead hot-shooting Creighton past previously unbeaten Dayton 77-59 on Wednesday. The senior guard hit five of his team's 13 3-pointers as the Bluejays (6-2) snapped the Flyers' eight-game winning streak while becoming the first team to shoot better than 40 percent from the floor against Dayton this season. Creighton was 23 of 52 from the field (44 percent) and shot 52 percent from 3-point range (13 of 25). Cavel Witter, P'Allen Stinnett and Kaleb Korver joined Woodfox in double figures for the Jays, who improved to 4-0 at home on the season. Dayton (8-1) was led by Rob Lowery with 15 points. Creighton also outrebounded the Flyers 42-31.

A Look At The Polls - December 8 - 26/27/22

The results for another week are in and Dayton's ranking according to national sources for December 8, 2007 are as follows:  AP #26, ESPN Coaches Poll #27, CBS Sportsline Top 25 (and One) #22.  Despite POWER RANKINGS (ESPN / SI) in the top 25, not enough of the teams above Dayton lost this week - and of course, the BCS schools nearly always get the nod over schools like UD.  RPI wise, Dayton is #17 this week.

Strong Defense Propels Flyers Over Zips 54-50

Charles Little’s dunk with 1:56 left gave Dayton the lead and Chris Johnson hit two foul shots with 3 seconds left to preserve it in the Flyers’ 54-50 victory over Akron on Saturday night. Brett McKnight’s 3-pointer with 3:45 remaining gave Akron (5-3) a 50-47 lead. A foul shot by London Warren and two by Kurt Huelsman tied it before an Akron miss led to Little’s dunk that put the Flyers (8-0) ahead to stay. The Zips missed their last three shots from the field and had two turnovers. Johnson accounted for half his points when he made two free throws to put the game out of reach in the 7-0 run at the end. Chris Wright had 18 points for Dayton, which shot just 34 percent from the field.

Flyers Soar To 7-0 With Victory Over Troy

Charles Little lead all scorers with 17 and a double-double while Paul Williams canned 3 from behind the arc and Marcus Johnson -added 14 as Dayton cruised to victory against the Troy Trojans 87-70 at the UD Arena Tuesday night.  UD has now won 24 straight non-conference games at home dating back to the 05-06 season.  Dayton's next challenge comes this Saturday as they travel to Akron to face the 4-2 Zips.  Game time on WHIO TV and Radio is 7pm.

A Look At The Polls - December 1 - 27/29/25

The results are in and Dayton's ranking according to national sources for December 1, 2007 are as follows:  AP #27, ESPN Coaches Poll #29, CBS Sportsline Top 25 (and One) #25.  It would appear the Flyers are sitting on the verge of the national scene once again.  RPI wise, Dayton is #20 this week. Just keep winning...

Dayton Clocks #15 Marquette 89-75

No UPSET here - Dayton clearly dominated this game with their 12 player rotation.  Rob Lowery scored a career-high 21 points Saturday night and Dayton used its depth and quickness to beat No. 15 Marquette 89-75 in the final of the Chicago Invitational Challenge. The Flyers’ 6-0 start is their best since winning the first nine games in 2003-04. Marquette (5-1) was beaten at its own fast-paced game. The Golden Eagles got a career-high 28 points from Wesley Matthews and 19 points from Dominic James. The Flyers matched Marquette’s quickness on the perimeter by alternating guards and also got a strong performance on the inside from Chris Wright, who finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and from freshman Chris Johnson, who had 12 points and 11 boards. Rob Lowery, a junior college transfer, had 11 points in the first half on 5-of-7 shooting. The Flyers led by as many as eight in the opening half and were up 33-32 at the break.

Flyers Take On #15 Marquette - Live Chat Here


The Flyers wrap up the Chicago Invitational Challenge tomorrow vs. 15th ranked Marquette on Saturday. The game is being televised on SNY - DirecTV channel 639 and via streaming audio at 1290whio.com.  While watching or listening to the Flyers, stop by for interactive chat during the game with your fellow Flyer fans right here on UDFlyers.com at 8 p.m. ET.

Live Game Chat! / 1290 WHIO Radio

Dayton Tops Auburn in Overtime 60-59


Marcus Johnson scored eight of his team-high 16 points in overtime Friday night as Dayton beat Auburn 60-59 in the Chicago Invitational Challenge. Johnson, a 6-foot-3 guard, scored four points at the start of the overtime period for a 52-49 Dayton lead and the Flyers (5-0) never trailed again. After driving one-handers by Chris Wright and London Warren gave Dayton a 56-52 lead with 31 seconds to play, Johnson protected the advantage by making four straight free throws to clinch the victory. DeWayne Reed scored a game-high 22 points for Auburn (3-2), including four 3-point baskets in a contest marked by poor shooting on both sides. The teams combined to miss their first 29 3-point attempts and Dayton wound up 0-for-24 from 3-point range. Auburn was 7-for-31. Wright had 10 points for Dayton while Barber and Tay Waller scored 10 points each for Auburn. 

Wright’s 16 helps Dayton beats Mercer 71-53


Chris Wright scored 16 points, including two dunks in the game’s first few minutes as Dayton took an early lead and never trailed, beating Mercer 71-53 Tuesday night in the second round of the Chicago Invitational Challenge.  Luke Fabrizius hit two consecutive 3-pointers that started a 13-2 run and put Dayton (4-0) ahead 30-10. Fabrizius ended the run with another 3-pointer and the Flyers would keep a double digit lead the rest of the way. Charles Little scored 11 points and Marcus Johnson added 10 for Dayton. Wright also had 11 rebounds. Daniel Emerson scored 13 points, Calvin Henry had 12 and Mark Hall 10 for Mercer (3-2), which had outrebounded their previous opponents—including Alabama and Auburn—by an average of 15.5 per game.Dayton, which plays Auburn in the tournament on Friday, grabbed 48 rebounds to Mercer’s 31.

Dayton trounces Bethune-Cookman, 78-38

Marcus Johnson led his Dayton Flyers to a lopsided 78-38 win Sunday over Bethune-Cookman, posting a team-high 16 points during the opening game of the Chicago Invitational Challenge. The Flyers (3-0) opened with a 13-2 lead in their largest win since a 44-point victory over Morehead State in 2001. They closed the game with a 20-1 run. Chris Johnson posted 14 points for Dayton and Charles Little had 10. As a team, Dayton outscored the Wildcats (1-2) in the paint, 36-6. Bethune-Cookman’s Clifford Reed led with 19 points. followed by Alexander Starling with nine.

Dayton beats Delaware State 62-42


Chris Wright scored 18 points as Dayton pulled away in the second half to beat Delaware State 62-42 Wednesday night. Dayton (2-0) scored 30 points off turnovers and brought down 41 rebounds to Delaware State’s 28. The Flyers expanded a 28-21 halftime lead with the help of six second-half 3-pointers and were ahead by as many as 28 points in the game’s closing minutes. Rob Lowery scored nine points and had four steals, while Wright and Kurt Huelsman each grabbed seven rebounds for Dayton. Eleven players scored for the Flyers. Donald Johnson scored 11 points while Arturo Dubois had nine points and eight rebounds for the Hornets.

Dayton Opens With Win Against Wofford 52-49

Marcus Johnson scored 17 points, including a dunk off a steal that broke a tie with three minutes remaining, as Dayton beat Wofford 52-49 Sunday night. Dayton (1-0) trailed for much of the first half but held a close lead for most of the second until Wofford’s Corey Godzinski hit a free throw and a 3-pointer to put the Terriers (0-1) up 41-40. Dayton’s Kurt Huelsman made two free throws to put the Flyers in front again, but Junior Salters hit a 3-pointer for Wofford. Johnson came back with a jumper to make it 44-all with 4:16 left, then followed with his dunk a minute later to put Dayton in front for good. Rob Lowery made a jumper and two free throws in the final minute to seal the win. Salters scored 15 points and Tim Johnson had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Wofford. Chris Wright had 17 points for Dayton.

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