Flyers vs. Buckeyes Game Information


Dayton will play at Ohio State in the Schottenstein Center on Wednesday, March 26, in the third round of the National Invitation Tournament.  The Flyers hit their free throws Monday, March 24, to fend off host Illinois State, 55-48. The Buckeyes defeated California, 73-56, in Columbus. Wednesday's winner advances to the semifinals in New York City. Tickets for Wednesday's game will be sold starting at 10 a.m. today by phone at (800) GO-BUCKS; at ohiostatebuckeyes.com/tickets or in person at the Schottenstein.  UD students may buy tickets from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Frericks Center. Visit udaytonredscare.com for student ticket information. Tickets are $20 for the general public, $10 for students. ESPN2 will televise the game at 9 p.m.

Flyers Down Red Birds - Ohio State Next in NIT

Dayton went on a 17-0 second-half run to break open a close game en route to a 55-48 victory over Illinois State in an NIT second-round game on Monday night.  Brian Roberts led Dayton (23-10) with 16 points. The Flyers go on the road to face Ohio State (21-13) in a quarterfinal game Wednesday.  The Flyers trailed 32-28 with 17:03 left before Illinois State (25-10) went more than 10 minutes without scoring. The Redbirds missed 12 straight shots before Dinma Odiakosa’s basket with 6:38 left ended the drought. Odiakosa led the Redbirds with 14 points.  Illinois State closed the gap to 51-47 with 57 seconds left, but couldn’t get closer. The Redbirds shot 26 percent in the second half to finish at 34 percent. Dayton freshman forward Chris Wright, who had been out since Jan. 9 with a broken bone in his right ankle, scored eight points. Roberts sank 4-of-6 attempts from 3-point range. The senior guard moved into second place on Dayton’s all-time 3-point basket list with 289, two behind Tony Stanley.

Chris Wright CLEARED TO PLAY!

The Dayton Daily News is reporting University of Dayton freshman star Chris Wright star has been cleared to play and will see action in an NIT second-round game against Illinois State tonight, March 24, coach Brian Gregory said. Wright, who has been out since fracturing a bone in his right ankle Jan. 9, has been practicing for about a week. Gregory originally thought Wright might return in time for a third-round game, but the 6-foot-8 leaper has made significant strides in practice the last two days. "He's healthy. He's feeling good. We'll throw him out there and see what happens," Gregory said after a shoot-around today at Redbird Arena. Wright, who is second on the team in scoring (10.4 points per game) and first in rebounding (6.0), was injured on a drive to the basket against Rhode Island and had surgery to implant three titanium screws into his ankle. The Flyers (22-10) lost eight of their next 11 games without Wright but have rebounded to five of their last six.

Will Wright Play Against Illinois State?

It's the question that has been dogging Dayton Flyer fans for the past month or so.  Everyone and their brother seems to have an inside source and has claimed "Wright will be definitely back for (insert team name here) game".  Word comes this morning however from the weekly Brian Gregory show that the coach had this to say with a smile... "well... he's back to practicing now, but he's been out over nine weeks, and it takes a little work to get back in game shape, so we'll see come Monday."

Flyer Fans - you make the call!

Dayton to Face Illinois State in NIT 2nd Round


The University Dayton will play at Illinois State in the second round of the NIT on Monday, March 24, at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU. Both teams advanced with first-round victories Wednesday, March 19. Dayton (22-10) defeated Cleveland State, 66-57. Illinois State (25-9) got by Utah State, 61-57, to improve its home record to 16-1. The teams have met three times, with UD winning twice. Illinois State, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, is located in Normal, Ill., which is between Champaign and Peoria, about a four and one-half hour drive from Dayton on Interstate 74. Tickets for the game are available only through Illinois State ticket office (309-438-800) at $10 per ticket. The winner of the Dayton/Illinois State game will get the Ohio State/Cal in the NIT quarterfinals at site and date to be determined.

Dayton Advances To 2nd Round of NIT


Brian Roberts scored 21 points, Kurt Huelsman 12 and Marcus Johnson and Andres Sandoval 11 each to lead the Flyers (22-10) to a 66-57 victory over Cleveland State.  UD advances to the second round of the NIT against the winner of the Illinois State-Utah State game later tonight. The site and date are to be determined.  The Flyers had a 13-point lead with 7:42 to go, but the Vikings slowed them down and cut the deficit to six with 3:48 to go. But Cleveland State could get no closer. The Flyers made just enough free throws after that to close out the victory.

NCAA Snubs - UD Hosts Cleveland State in NIT


The University of Dayton men's basketball team is a No. 3 seed — in the NIT. The Flyers will host Cleveland State in a first-round NIT game at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be televised on ESPNU. If UD wins, it will face the winner of Wednesday's Illinois State-Utah game.  UD was one of five teams left out of the NCAA field despite having RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) standings of 40 or better. Dayton's RPI was the 32nd-best in the country.It is the fourth straight season in which the Flyers have failed to make the tourney. UD's last NCAA tournament victory came in 1990.

Will Dayton Dance?  They Deserve A Look...


Some say it's a long shot - but when compared with the rest of the Bubblicious group of teams vying for the final spots in the NCAA Tourney, a strong argument can be made that Dayton deserves a shot.  Think we are blowing homer smoke?  Hyperjump over to the Dance Card Methodology site and see what YOU think - not the talking heads.  As coach Brian Gregory said... " "We'll be in the mid-30s in RPI and strength of schedule, and we'll have 10 wins against teams in the top 100 of RPI, and two wins against teams in the Top 25. We've done a lot of good things this year. We'll see what happens on Sunday."

So you still aren't sold?  Browse over to ESPN's Bubble Watch and read this... "Dayton and Ole Miss have profiles that are much better than most think, despite long swoons in league play. Both clubs won their last three regular-season league games, and if they get to their respective tourney semis (one win for Dayton and two for Ole Miss), will deserve very long looks."  ESPN put Dayton right on the cut line.

Dayton isn't a lock by any stretch of the imagination (and we're not going to pretend anything of the sort), but based on their SOS, RPI, wins vs. the Top 50 and Top 100 - they definitely DO deserve a long hard look.

Xavier Survives Scare From Dayton @ A10

Marcus Johnson had a career-high 26 points and Brian Roberts added 13 for the Flyers, who used a 21-6 run to take a 44-41 lead early in the second half.  Xavier's Duncan, the conference's sixth man of the year, hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 44 with 12:59 to play.  After Andres Sandoval gave Dayton its final lead at 46-44 with a basket inside, X hit two free throws to start a 14-2 spurt that featured a go-ahead drive across the lane by Duncan and a 3-pointer by the senior. Burrell also nailed a 3-pointer as the Musketeers took a 58-48 lead.  Johnson, who was 13-of-16 from the free throw line, hit four free throws to cut the lead to 58-52 and Dayton had two chances to narrow the margin, but Kurt Huelsman missed two free throws and Johnson misfired on a 3.  Brown and Anderson sandwiched layups around a Dayton free throw to push the lead to 62-53 and Dayton never got closer than six points the rest of the way.

Dayton coach Brian Gregory still hopes the Flyers make the NCAA tournament.  "A lot depends on what happens in other games," Gregory said. "We'll be in the mid-30s in RPI and strength of schedule, and we'll have 10 wins against teams in the top 100 of RPI, and two wins against teams in the Top 25. We've done a lot of good things this year. We'll see what happens on Sunday."

Flyers Top St. Louis in Overtime - On To Face X

Marcus Johnson scored eight of his 16 points in overtime and hit the game winning shot with 32 seconds left as 8th-seeded Dayton held off 9th-seeded St. Louis 63-62 in a first-round Atlantic 10 Tournament game Wednesday. Mickey Perry added 11 points and Andres Sandoval had 10 points and five assists for the Flyers (21-9), who now face No. 10 — and top-seeded — Xavier in a quarterfinal game Thursday. Dayton's leading scorer Brian Roberts, who came into the game averaging 19 points, was held to five, which tied his season-low.

Dayton's Stock Rising?  CHN Has UD In...

Apparently, someone is actually doing their research.  Shawn Siegel from CollegeHoopsNet (CHN) has Dayton in the field of 65.  Here's what he has to say... "At this point, the changes that everyone cares about are on the bubble.. where it seems like nobody but Kentucky really wants to make the Big Dance. Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Florida all fizzled out, but at least the Hokies put up a good fight. Those three teams drop out and are replaced by Ohio State, Dayton, and Arizona State. Dayton at .500 in A10 play might seem controversial... but they have some of the best non-conference wins in the country and the A10 is as good as the Big Ten this year. Basically it comes down to this.. if Arizona's in (and they are as of now), then how could you keep Dayton out? The same might also be said of Ole Miss, who I have back on the fringe.. though some other pundits will have them in the field."

Chris Wright Will Dress For Wednesday Game

Brian Gregory is quoted in the Dayton Daily News saying that freshman Chris Wright will suit for the A-10 tournament and possibly play. The Flyers face Saint Louis in the first round at noon Wednesday.  "As of right now, he'll be dressed for the tournament and we'll determine in the next couple of days what his playing status will be. He's doing a little more in practice and he's moving forward," Gregory said. "With our postseason aspirations, (the doctors) are saying he's good for that and maybe even something this week. We're kind of crossing our fingers and hoping he keeps progressing the way he has been."

Dayton Sitting On The Bubble

The Dayton Flyers control their own destiny at this point.  Most agree a first round win in the A10 Tourney combined with a win against Xavier in the second round should clearly put them in.  If the Flyers loose to X, things start to get a little shaky while a first round loss would all but eliminate NCAA talk and send Dayton to the NIT.

Dayton Faces St. Louis In A10 First Round

Pairings have been determined for the 2008 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship and the University of Dayton will open the tournament on Wednesday when the Flyers face the Saint Louis Billikens. Game time in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall is 12 noon ET.

UD won its last three games to finish the regular season 20-9 and 8-8 in conference. The Flyers tied La Salle for seventh place in the A-10, but is the tournament's eighth seed on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

Wednesday, March 12:

Game 1 - #8 Dayton vs. #9 Saint Louis 12:00
Game 2 - #5 Saint Joseph's vs. #12 Fordham 2:30
Game 3 - #7 La Salle vs. #10 Duquesne 6:30
Game 4 - #6 Charlotte vs. #11 Rhode Island 9:00

Thursday, March 13:

Game 5 - #1 Xavier vs. #8/#9 winner 12:00 (CSTVR)
Game 6 - #4 Richmond vs. #5/#12 winner 2:30 (CSTVR)
Game 7 - #2 Temple (18-12) vs. #7/#10 winner 6:30 (CSTVR)
Game 8 - #3 Massachusetts vs. #6/#11 winner 9:00 (CSTVR)

Friday, March 14

Game 9 - Winners of Games 5 & 6 6:30 (CSTVR)
Game 10 - Winners of Games 7 & 8 9:00 (CSTVR)

Saturday, March 15

Game 11 - Championship Game 6:00 (ESPN)

Strong Finish To Season - Flyers Down St. Joes

Marcus Johnson scored 17 points and Brian Roberts added 15 to lead Dayton past Saint Joseph’s 79-67 on Saturday. Jimmy Binnie and Andreas Sandoval each added 12 and Charles Little came off the bench to score 11 for the Flyers (20-9, 8-8 Atlantic 10). Ahmad Nivins had 23 points, Pat Calathes 17, Rob Ferguson 11 and Tasheed Carr 10 for the Hawks (18-11, 9-7).  A 3-pointer by Darren Govens and two baskets by Nivins gave Saint Joseph’s a quick 7-2 lead before a sparse crowd because of the inclement weather that dumped several inches of snow on the city. With the score tied at 11, the Flyers went on a 10-0 run built around 3-pointers by Binnie and Roberts and layups by Johnson and Little. Dayton led by as many as 19 points late in the half and never led by fewer than seven points in the second half. The Flyers hit half of their 18 3-point shots while Saint Joseph’s was 6 of 22.

Roberts Leads Dayton over Bonnies 78-73

Brian Roberts scored 24 points to lead Dayton to a 78-73 victory over St. Bonaventure in Atlantic 10 Conference play Wednesday night. Marcus Johnson and Andres Sandoval each had 13 points for the Flyers (19-9, 7-8 A10). London Warren made a 3-pointer to put the Flyers ahead for good, 67-64, with 4:43 remaining. The Flyers held a 17-point lead with 13:49 to play in the first half, but the Bonnies rallied to end the half with a 43-43 tie. The second half had four ties and nine lead changes. Neither team led by more than five points in the second half.

UD Wins Critical Road Victory vs. Fordham

Brian Roberts scored 12 points to help Dayton beat Fordham 57-50 on Saturday night. Kurt Huelsman and Charles Little each added 11 points for the Flyers (18-9, 6-8 Atlantic 10), who had lost four of their previous five games. Bryant Dunston had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Rams (11-15, 5-9), who trailed 30-23 at the half in losing for the third time in four games. Brenton Butler was the only other player for Fordham in double figures with 11.  The Flyers had a 12-5 lead early on as Huelsman led the way with seven points. Mickey Perry’s jumper closed out the run. Mike Moore’s jumper got the Rams to within 16-11 at 9:10, but Dayton then built three leads of 10 points, the last at 30-20 on Roberts’ 3-pointer at 1:38. Fordham closed to 32-31 early in the second half, but the Flyers used a 12-7 spurt to take a 44-38 lead with 5:58 left. They could get no closer.

Dayton Falls Short Against #10 Xavier 57-51


Drew Lavender made four free throws in the final 35 seconds and Xavier beat Dayton 57-51.  It was the Musketeers’ 10th straight win and assured them of at least a share of the Atlantic 10 championship. Brian Roberts led Dayton (17-9, 5-8) with 15 points. Nobody else reached double figures, although Xavier went into the game with six players averaging 10 or more.  “They are a solid defensive team and they made it tough to get some shots,” Roberts said. “We fought, we played hard and it was a battle throughout the whole game. They just came out on top.” Dayton tied the score five times in the first nine minutes but never led. The Flyers were 12-of-24 from the field in the first half and trailed 29-27 at halftime.  “We did a lot of things today that we would have liked, it just was not enough,” Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. “We were playing a high-quality team who has won every close game they’ve played in and you have to make certain plays down the stretch in the last five minutes. We wanted to be within striking distance within the last five minutes and we were. They made a couple of big plays and had a couple of offensive rebounds. When you play a team like Xavier, the margin for error is much smaller.”

Dayton Falls Short In Overtime vs. LaSalle


Darnell Harris scored 26 points, including two huge 3-point shots in overtime, in rallying La Salle to a 81-78 victory over Dayton on Thursday night.  Brian Roberts had 30 points and Andres Sandoval contributed 17 for Dayton (17-8, 5-7), which lost for the fifth time in a row on the road.  A 3-pointer by Roberts gave the Flyers a 78-73 lead with 53 seconds left in overtime, but Harris hit a trey. After a missed free throw by Roberts, Harris made another 3-pointer to give the Explorers a 79-78 lead with 13.5 seconds to go.  Mbala hit two foul shots with 3.9 seconds remaining, and Roberts’ 3-point attempt at the buzzer hit the back of the rim.  Dayton, which hit on 20 of 30 shots after the break, led 65-58 with 3:27 left in regulation. But Green scored four straight points, and a 3-point shot by Sherman Diaz with 6.4 seconds left sent the game into overtime.  The Flyers made eight of their first 10 shots at the start of the second half to take the biggest lead of the game, 49-37. The Explorers answered with a 19-8 spurt to close to within 57-56 with 7:28 remaining in regulation.

Roberts Hits For 23 - Flyers Beat Temple


In a must win game with post season hopes on the line, senior Brian Roberts scored a game-high 23 points to help Dayton defeat the Temple Owls, 77-66, at UD Arena in front of a sold out crowd of 13,435. Dayton improved to 17-7 overall this season and 5-6 in the Atlantic 10. Temple dropped to 13-11 and 6-4 in conference. Dayton is also 13-2 this year at UD Arena.  The Flyers were on top 34-29 at the half and built the lead to as much as 17 in the second half. Andres Sandoval added 15 points and Marcus Johnson had 13 for Dayton, which hit 28-of-49 shots from the field, including 9-of-15 3-pointers. Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas each had 19 points, Ryan Brooks 12 and Chris Clark 10 for the Owls (13-11, 6-4). Dayton never trailed after a Sandoval 3-pointer erased a 10-8 deficit at the 13:52 mark of the first half. Temple got as close as three points early in the second half before the Flyers went on a 12-2 run which included a 3-pointer by Jimmy Binnie and two three-point plays by Johnson.

Time To Right The Ship Is Now...


Dayton better right its ship quickly or a once-promising season could finish in very disappointing fashion.  With six games remaining, the Flyers, once a cinch to reach 20 wins, now must win four of those games to accomplish the feat. Dayton's remaining schedule includes three home games and three road games, and all three away games are against teams who rank lower than 100 in the RPI. However, the Flyers have won only one of their five Atlantic 10 Conference road games thus far, and the one win was a come-from-behind overtime effort at St. Louis in early January.

Making things more difficult is the fact that the three home games are against three of the A-10's top teams -- Saturday vs. Temple (a 92-89 victor over Rhode Island on Feb. 13), nationally ranked Xavier on Feb. 24 and St. Joseph in the regular-season finale on March 8. With losses in six of their last eight games, including a killer loss to a George Washington team that had lost seven in a row prior to its 57-54 last-second win over Dayton on Feb, 9, Dayton is running out of time to get back on track.

The absence of freshman forward Chris Wright, still sidelined as he recovers from ankle surgery, continues to be a huge problem for the Flyers, who miss his presence as a scoring and rebounding threat and as the team's top all-around athlete. Without Wright in the lineup, opponents continue to focus their attention on guard Brian Roberts and make life difficult for the senior leader. In addition, the supporting cast continues to play erratically, with turnovers, a lack of consistent outside shooting and poor foul shooting all playing a factor in recent losses.

Dayton's defense seems to have bounced back after a few bad games. The Flyers will have to rely even more on their "D" against a Temple team that has won seven of its last nine games, including back-to-back overtime decisions over UMass and Rhode Island.

Season In Collapse - Flyers Loose To Duquesne

The Flyers have now lost 6 of their last 8 games and their Season is spiraling out of control as they loose to Duquesne at home 63-61.  Flyer fans everywhere watch in horror as their post season hopes slip away with each loss... 
 

Tailspin Continues GW 57, Dayton 54

Wynton Witherspoon hit a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left Saturday night to give George Washington a 57-54 win over Dayton, snapping the Colonials' seven-game losing streak.  After Dayton tied the game on a basket by Brian Roberts with 35 seconds left, George Washington held the ball for the last shot. Maureece Rice was ready to launch a contested jumper from the right corner, changed his mind in mid-air and instead passed to Witherspoon, who made the game-winner from the right wing. Rob Diggs scored a career-high 29 points and had 11 rebounds for the Colonials (6-13, 2-7 Atlantic 10). Witherspoon added 19 points off the bench. Roberts led Dayton (16-6, 4-5) with 20 points. Charles Little added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Flyers, which fell to 1-8 all-time at the Smith Center.

Roberts Rallies Dayton To Win Over Charlotte

Brian Roberts scored nine points in the game's closing minutes to spark Dayton's comeback as the Flyers beat Charlotte 69-64 Wednesday night. Dayton (16-5, 4-4 Atlantic 10) trailed by eight with 5:28 left when Roberts sank a 3-pointer to start a 10-0 run that ended with Dayton (16-5, 4-4) ahead 61-59. Michael Gerrity made a layup for Charlotte (13-8, 4-3) to tie it at 61 with 2:11 left, but then Dayton's London Warren made a jumper and two free throws and Roberts added two more free throws to ice the game for the Flyers. Dayton forwards Charles Little and Kurt Huelsman each fouled out in the second half, but the Flyers still outscored Charlotte 18-5 down the stretch. Charlotte got a sub-par game from their top scorer, Leemire Goldwire. He finished with just eight points -- 11 below his season average -- on 2-of-16 shooting. Little scored 16 points, Jimmy Binnie had 15 and Andres Sandoval added 10 for Dayton. Charlotte's Lamont Mack scored 16 points while Charlie Coley had 10 points for the 49ers. The Flyers improved to 12-1 at home this season.

Rhode Island 82, Dayton 70

Joe Mbang scored 21 points and had eight rebounds while Jimmy Baron finished with 20 points as Rhode Island beat Dayton 82-70 on Saturday. Mbang had 13 points in a span of 4:09 as the Rams (19-3, 5-2 Atlantic 10) took control with a 20-7 run in the second half. Mbang capped his streak by knocking down a 3-pointer with 12:15 left to play that gave the Rams a 56-38 lead. Dayton (15-5, 3-4), which lost for the fourth time in five games, shot 2-of-13 from 3-point range. Brian Roberts, who led the Flyers with 17 points, connected on the team's first 3-point field goal with 8:11 to play. Rhode Island hit 11-of-26 from beyond the arc with Mbang and Baron leading the Rams with four 3-pointers each. Parfait Bitee's 3 in the final seconds of the first half sent Rhode Island into halftime with a 36-27 lead.  The Flyers' London Warren finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs. Bitee finished with 15 points, while Kahiem Seawright and Lamonte Ulmer each had 11 for the Rams, who shot 52 percent from the field.

Dayton 63, Saint Louis 36


Brian Roberts scored 18 points to lead Dayton to a 63-36 win over Saint Louis on Wednesday night, snapping the Flyers' three-gaming losing streak. Dayton used a 10-0 run midway through the first half to build a 19-14 lead that they did not surrender. Andres Sandoval scored 15 points and London Warren added 11 for the Flyers (15-4, 3-3 Atlantic 10), who played without injured forwards Charles Little and Chris Wright. Little broke a bone in his right foot against Massachusetts on Jan. 16. Little continues to recover from ankle surgery. Tommie Liddell III led the Billikens (11-9, 2-4) with 10 points. The Billikens shot just 37 percent from the floor -- the fourth game this year that they have scored 40 points or less.

Dayton Drops Third In A Row To Richmond


David Gonzalvez took an all-or-nothing approach into Richmond's game against No. 16 Dayton, and it paid off big. Gonzalvez and Dan Geriot combined for 25 points in Richmond's sizzling first half and the Spiders handed the Flyers their third straight loss, 80-63 on Saturday night. "I told Dan a few nights ago, 'We've got to be the most aggressive we've been all season to beat Dayton,"' Gonzalvez said. "'We've got to attack the ball all the time, every possession.' I said, 'I'm either going to play horrible or have a great game."' Lucky for Richmond, the latter was the case as he scored 20 points and Geriot had 19, and Richmond (10-8, 3-2 Atlantic 10) won for the sixth time in eight games. The Spiders shot 61.5 percent in the first half, when a 13-0 run was part of a 25-5 burst that led to 46-27 halftime lead before a raucous crowd at Robins Center.  "We don't have many opportunities to take on a nationally ranked opponent in your own building," Spiders coach Chris Mooney said. "I thought that we played very well. I thought we had control of the game in the first half and played very well." Dayton (14-4, 2-3), playing without injured interior players Chris Wright and Charles Little, never got closer than 13 points after Richmond's big early burst. Leading by 19 at halftime, they scored seven of the first eight points in the second half to extend the lead to 53-28 with 17:15 to play and cruised to the win. Brian Roberts scored 20 for the Flyers, with 17 coming after halftime. Andres Sandoval added 17 and London Warren had a career-best 13. The Spiders clinched it by hitting 10 of 11 free throws over the final 5:25.

Top 20 Match Up Leaves Dayton In The Dust


The Atlantic 10's long-awaited showdown came down to defense, and Xavier (No. 22 ESPN/USA Today/No. 23 AP) had more of what mattered most, starting with Stanley Burrell.  The senior guard scored a team-high 13 points Thursday night and anchored a man-to-man defense that dug in from the opening tip and never let up, setting up a 69-43 victory over Dayton (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today/No. 16 AP). "I thought tonight he really put it all together," Xavier coach Sean Miller said. "He was the MVP of the game." Xavier (16-4, 4-1) pushed the lead to double digits in the opening minutes and was never threatened in its most lopsided victory over Dayton in nine years. The Musketeers had a 41-24 edge in rebounds, and held the Flyers to 30 percent shooting from the field. "In this league, the best defensive team usually wins," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "We've got to tighten up our defense quite a bit." 

It was the second straight loss for Dayton (14-3, 2-2), which sorely missed two injured forwards on offense. The Flyers couldn't create an open shot for guard Brian Roberts, one of the conference's top shooters. Burrell hounded Roberts, who averages 20 points a game. He and another defender were nearby whenever Roberts got the ball and he finished 2-for-5 from the field for five points, a season low.  Dayton was missing two forwards to injury, including its top player off the bench. Charles Little, the conference's top sixth man last season, broke a bone in his right foot during an 82-71 home loss to Massachusetts last week that ended the Flyers' 13-game winning streak. The Flyers already were missing Chris Wright, who had surgery last week for a broken right ankle. Glumly, both stood behind the backboard during pregame warmups, metal crutches propped under their arms. "In fairness to Dayton, they've got two key guys out and Brian Roberts wasn't playing as much in the second half," Miller said. "That clearly doesn't allow them to be the same team they've been."

Charles Little Out 4-6 Weeks With Broken Foot


University of Dayton junior forward Charles Little has a fracture in one of the sesamoid bones in his right foot, it was announced today. The injury, which occurred during Wednesday's game with Massachusetts, does not require surgery and Little will be out four-to-six weeks.  Add this to the broken foot of star freshman Chris Wright (also out 4-6) and Dayton will have an uphill battle in conference the next month and a half.  Dayton, 14-2 and 2-1 in the A-10, is ranked 14th in the latest Associated Press poll and 18th in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. Wednesday's loss to Massachusetts snapped a 13-game winning streak for the Flyers.

UMass Handles #14 Flyers At Home 82-71


Ricky Harris scored 22 points and Chris Lowe added 19 to lead the Minutemen to an 82-71 victory Wednesday night, their second in as many years in Dayton and one that snapped the Flyers' 13-game winning streak. Dayton (14-2, 2-1 Atlantic 10) won its first 14 home games last season before that streak ended with a 77-69 loss to Massachusetts (12-4, 1-1). This was the first home loss of the season for the Flyers, who beat then-No. 6 Pittsburgh here. "We gave up way too much dribble penetration, which led to open 3s," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "If they're going to double Brian Roberts, other guys need to step up and make plays. We didn't do enough of that tonight consistently."  Dayton finished 4-of-25 from 3-point range. When Dayton tried to take the ball inside, the Minutemen would collapse, blocking shots -- six in all -- or forcing the Flyers to kick the ball back out.

Live InGame Chat Tonite vs. UMass @ 7pm!


While watching the Flyers on CSTV's streaming feed, stop by for interactive chat during the game with your fellow Flyer fans right here on UDFlyers.com at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be carried through WHIO Radio and be available over the Internet with Gametracker and streaming video and audio from CSTV.

Live Game Chat! / Streaming CSTV Video / 1290 WHIO Radio

Poll Watch - January 14th - #13, #14 & #18


Another week of victories for the Dayton Flyers can only mean one thing... more poll results.  Last week, UD was ranked 14th in the CBS Sportsline Poll, 17th in the AP Poll, and 22nd in the USA Today/ESPN Poll.  Here's how things are shaping up this week and the number of spots jumped...

CBS Sportsline - # 13 (+1)
Associated Press - # 14 (+3)
ESPN/USA Today Coaches - # 18 (+4)
RPI Ranking - # 4

Roberts leads Flyers to OT win against St. Louis


Brian Roberts and the Dayton Flyers knew they would see a very different Saint Louis team than the one that set an NCAA record for futile in its last game.  Roberts scored 30 points and Dayton (No. 22 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) held off Saint Louis 68-57 in overtime on Saturday night for the Flyers' 13th straight victory. The Flyers (14-1, 2-0 Atlantic 10) matched the best start in school history, which was last set during the 1955-56 season. The 13 straight wins is the second best mark in school history. Dayton won 19 consecutive games during the end of the 1967-68 season and the beginning of the 1968-69 season.  Dayton had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but Roberts' shot fell off the mark to send the game to overtime tied at 55.  The Flyers scored the first six points of overtime, including four by Little to put the game away. The Billikens were 1-for-8 in the overtime session and only got a basket from Liddell with 44.8 seconds remaining.

Live InGame Chat Tonite vs. St. Louis @ 8pm!


Since there's no TV for tonight's game, why not stop by for interactive chat with your fellow Flyer fans right here on UDFlyers.com.  The No. 17 University of Dayton Flyers will be on the road vs. the St. Louis Billikens tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Dayton is 13-1 overall while St. Louis (9-6) is coming off the lowest points scoring total in the modern shot clock era at George Washington earlier this week.

Live Game Chat! / 1290 WHIO Radio

Chris Wright out at least 4-6 weeks


University of Dayton freshman star Chris Wright will be sidelined at least four to six weeks after fracturing his right ankle during Wednesday's game against Rhode Island. Wright was injured when he landed awkwardly on a reverse layup early in the first half. He's tentatively scheduled to have surgery Monday to implant two screws into the right medial malleolus (on the inside of the ankle), according to Dr. Tim Quinn, UD's orthopedic consultant.  "This is a very fixable type of orthopedic problem," Quinn said. "Hopefully, within four to six weeks, he's back playing and will do great and will help the team."  The Flyers' second-leading scorer and top rebounder has been hampered by an ankle injury for more than a month. He missed a game Dec. 22 and played just 14 minutes in each of the next two contests.  "This is a difficult situation for a young athlete to be faced with," UD coach Brian Gregory said. "But the most important thing right now is that Chris gets healthy."

Flyers Rack Up Another Victory vs. Rams


Brian Roberts scored 23 points and the 17th-ranked Flyers withstood a furious second-half rally by the 22nd-ranked Rams in a 92-83 victory Wednesday night in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams. "It was a great heavyweight fight with two teams going back and forth," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "It speaks volumes of where our league is at to have two teams of that caliber go out there and perform the way they did in a big game." Dayton (13-1) used its bench and a balanced scoring attack to extend its winning streak to 12 games. "You saw two teams that really relied on their depth, and both teams utilized that depth," Gregory said. "We got a lot of big plays from a lot of big players."  The victory gave Dayton its longest winning streak since a 19-game run bridging the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons.

Moving On Up - Dayton Now Ranked #17/22


This weeks polls are now out and the Dayton Flyers continue to move up the charts with a bullet.  The Associated Press poll now ranks UD #17 and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll lags behind at #20.  CBSSports.com ranks Dayton #15.  In related news, this week also marks the first time in quite a while where three Atlantic 10 teams find themselves ranked in the Top 25 simultaneously.  Xavier is 24/25 and Rhode Island comes in at 22/20 in this weeks polls.

CSTV To Televise Rhode Island Game


WHIO-TV has announced the addition of Wednesday's clash between #20/23 Dayton and #23/22 Rhode Island on Wednesday to its broadcast lineup. The game between the Flyers and Rams is scheduled to tipoff from UD Arena at 7 p.m. ET. The broadcast will also begin at 7 p.m. ET and will be shown in the Dayton market and nationally in selected markets on CSTV - DirecTV Channel 610.  In addition, fans will still be able to watch the game for free online through Dayton All-Access. Fans can also follow the action on WHIO-Radio.

#20 Dayton Survives in 2OT vs. Akron 83-81


It wasn't pretty but the Dayton Flyers survived a double overtime punching match of a basketball game with a scrappy, solid Akron team to move to 12-1.  London Warren scored six points in the second overtime, including a big free throw, to lead No. 20 Dayton to the 83-81 victory.  Coming off a huge victory over Pittsburgh last week, Dayton looked sluggish to start the game and the Akron defense did an outstanding job containing the Flyers.  Kurt Huelsman lead Dayton in scoring with 18, followed by Brian Roberts with a quiet 17 points.  Marcus Johnson chipped in 16, while Jimmie Binnie added 14 in an all around team effort.  UD struggled at the charity stripe shooting 64% for the game.  The next challenge for the Flyers comes a week from today with the start of A10 Conference play against #23 Rhode Island.  Game time is 7pm at the University of Dayton Arena.

Live InGame Chat Tonite vs. Akron @ 7pm!


While watching the Flyers on CSTV's streaming feed, stop by for interactive chat during the game with your fellow Flyer fans right here on UDFlyers.com.  The No. 20/23 University of Dayton Flyers will be hosting the Akron Zips tonite at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on WHIO-TV, carried through WHIO Radio and be available over the Internet with Gametracker and streaming video and audio from CSTV. Dayton is 11-1 overall and 8-0 at UD Arena. Akron comes to the Decibel Dungeon with a 10-2 record, the school's best start since going Division I in 1980-81.

Live Game Chat! / Streaming CSTV Video / 1290 WHIO Radio

AP Poll Dayton #20 - ESPN/USA Today #23

Dayton was impressive with its road win over Louisville. The Flyers went a lot further with their 25-point rout of previously unbeaten Pittsburgh last weekend, a victory that moved them into The Associated Press' Top 25 for the first time in four years. "That kind of win was maybe shocking to everybody, including myself, but I hope the ranking is for the 12-game body of work to this point of the season," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said Monday. "It's great recognition for our program and the effort our guys have put forth so far this season but they are mature enough to realize it is a long season." The 80-55 win over then-No. 6 Pittsburgh on Saturday was the 10th straight for the Flyers (11-1) since a 67-56 loss at George Mason. They joined the poll at No. 20, their first ranking since a three-week run in December 2003.

Roberts Named National Player Of The Week


Brian Roberts had 31 points for Dayton in the win over Pittsburgh and was this season's first two-time winner of the ESPN Player of the Week honors. The senior guard is in the top five in seven statistical categories in the Atlantic 10.  "I've been saying all along that he is one of the most efficient guards in the country, averaging 19 points on just 11 shots a game while having a great assist-to-turnover ratio," Coach Brian Gregory said. "But with what he's done this year that's not good enough.... He is one of the best all-around guards in the country. He has run our offense but knows when he has to take over and he has carried us in stretches."

Flyers #16 In CBS Sportsline Top 26 This Week


Senior writer Gary Parrish's ranks the top teams in the nation for CBS Sportsline and has the following to say about Dayton in this weeks poll... "It's safe to predict this won't be the only place you'll see the Flyers ranked this week."  The Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls come out tomorrow (Monday).  Parrish had the Flyers ranked #21 last week - the highest of all the national polls.  Dayton ranked #28 in last weeks AP poll and was #32 in the Coaches Poll.

Dayton Crushes #6 Pitt By 25 On ESPN2


Brian Roberts scored 31 points and Dayton upset No. 6 Pittsburgh 80-55 on Saturday night, extending the Flyers' winning streak to 10 and handing the Panthers their first loss of the season.  Pittsburgh (11-1) had no answer for Roberts, who got repeated open looks and took full advantage. Marcus Johnson added 15 points and Kurt Huelsman 12 for the Flyers.  Dayton (11-1) also hit 22 of 28 free throws and outrebounded the Panthers 41-34.  When Roberts wasn't shooting from the outside, Dayton was able to get the ball inside to the 6-foot-10 Huelsman, who would drive to the basket, dish the ball off or kick it back outside.  Dayton's stifling defense often thwarted Pittsburgh's efforts to cut to the basket and forced the Panthers to take outside shots.

Dayton 91, Loyola, Md. 74

Brian Roberts put up 20 points to lead five Dayton players in double digit scoring, and the Flyers cruised by Loyola, Md., 91-74 Saturday night for their ninth straight win. Marcus Johnson scored 16, Charles Little had 12, Jimmy Binnie added 11 and Andres Sandoval contributed 10 in the Flyers' spread out scoring attack.  After falling behind 4-2 nearly a minute into the game, Dayton (10-1) tied the game on a jump shot by Kurt Huelsman 90 seconds later and never again relinquished the lead. The Flyers saw their largest lead of 20 points 5:20 into the second half.  Marquis Sullivan scored 15 points to lead Loyola (5-6), which shot 51 percent from the floor. Dayton shot 49 percent, but dominated the game with points off turnovers (32) and second-chance points (21).

Dayton 63, American U. 56

Brian Roberts scored 12 points and Thiago Cordeiro had 11 to lead Dayton past American 63-56 Wednesday night for their eighth straight win. The Flyers (9-1) trailed for much of the first half but took a 28-26 lead early in the second and stayed in front from there.  An 11-2 spurt gave Dayton a comfortable 50-38 lead with 5:24 to play. Charles Little had eight of his nine points during the run.  Garrison Carr had seven 3-pointers and led all scorers with a career-high 26 points for American (6-5). No other Eagles reached double figures.  Center Kurt Huelsman had 11 rebounds for Dayton as the Flyers out-rebounded American 39-24. Dayton shot just 37.5 percent in the first half, but improved to 50 percent in the second period.

Dayton 66, Coppin St. 34

Brian Roberts made four out of eight 3-point attempts and finished with 14 points to lead Dayton to a 66-34 shellacking of Coppin State Saturday. Chris Wright added 13 points for Dayton (8-2), which saw 11 different players score in a game in which the Flyers never trailed. Dayton got 24 points from their bench, while Coppin State (3-8) received none. The Flyers shot over 50 percent from the field, including 41 percent from 3-point range. Dayton dominated both halves of the game, heading into the locker room at halftime with a 32-15 lead. Tywain McKee scored 12 points and Vince Goldsberry had 10 for Coppin State, which shot only 31 percent from the field.

Dayton Upsets No. 11 Louisville

Point guard, shooting guard, it doesn't matter how to you try to label Dayton's Brian Roberts. "I just want the ball in my hands and I want to make plays," Roberts said. The senior made plenty of them Saturday, scoring 28 points as Dayton upset Louisville (No. 11 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP) 70-65. The win spoiled Louisville coach Rick Pitino's first attempt at joining the 500-win club.  "This is a huge win for our program and for Dayton," Roberts said. "We opened some eyes today. I know from this point on, there'll be a lot of people looking at us."  The Cardinals sure got an eyeful as Roberts lifted the Flyers (7-1) to their second straight victory over Louisville (5-2).

Dayton 68, High Point 54

Freshman Chris Wright scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds -- his third double-double in seven games -- to lead Dayton to a 68-54 victory Wednesday night over High Point. The Flyers (6-1) built their lead to 61-42 when Andre Sandoval hit a 3-point basket with 8:36 remaining. The Panthers (3-4) then went on a 10-3 run capped by David Campbell's 3-pointer to pull to 64-52 with 2:55 left but got no closer. Mike Jefferson led high point with 18 points, while Dayton held Arizona Reid, who had been averaging 24 points a game, to 11 points. Marcus Johnson added 12 points for the Flyers and Kurt Huelsman had 10.

Dayton 55, Holy Cross 53

Andres Sandoval and Marcus Johnson hit clutch free throws in the final 24 seconds as Dayton handed Holy Cross its first loss of the season 55-53 on Saturday night. Brian Roberts' jumper gave Dayton (5-1) a 52-47 lead with 33 seconds left, but the Crusaders' 6-foot-11 center Tim Clifford hit a 3-pointer to make it 52-50 with 21 seconds left. Sandoval then hit a pair of free throws before Clifford again hit a deep 3 to make it 54-53 with 15 seconds remaining. Johnson hit one of two foul shots, giving Holy Cross (6-1) a chance to tie or win, but the Crusaders turned the ball over as time expired. Jimmy Binnie scored 13 points to lead Dayton, while Clifford had a game-high 20 for the Crusaders. Dayton led 26-25 at halftime but Clifford and Alex Vander Baan combined to trigger a 13-2 run that gave Holy Cross a 40-33 lead with 10:40 to play. But Dayton forced eight turnovers in a 15-3 run to take a 48-41 lead with 6:12 remaining.

Dayton 63, Miami (Ohio) 62

Brian Roberts' 3-pointer with five seconds remaining capped a second-half comeback that lifted Dayton over Miami of Ohio Wednesday night 63-62. Miami (3-2) opened the game with 10 straight points and didn't trail in the game until Roberts' 3-pointer. The RedHawks led by as many 19 during a first half that saw Michael Bramos make seven 3-pointers on his way to scoring 25 points -- seven more than Dayton (4-1). But the Flyers stormed back in the second, closing to within one with 3:34 left and then staying close until the game's final minute. Bramos made two free throws to expand the RedHawks' lead to three with 23 seconds left. Roberts followed that with a jumper, and then Bramos missed one free throw and made another to give Miami a two-point lead with 13 seconds left. Roberts hit his 3-pointer seconds later. Roberts had 20 points, Kurt Huelsman had 14 and Chris Wright 12 for Dayton, which shot 67.9 percent in the second half after shooting just 30.4 percent in the first. The Flyers also out-rebounded Miami 15-7 and outscored the RedHawks 45-29 in the second. Bramos finished with 36 points and nine 3-pointers -- both career-highs. Tim Pollitz added 13 points for Miami.

Dayton 82, SMU 57

Brian Roberts scored 24 points to lead Dayton to an 82-57 win over SMU on Saturday. Up 40-28 at halftime, Roberts made a 3-pointer to open the second half and start a 23-18 run that gave the Flyers (3-1) a 63-46 lead with 9:18 left. Roberts was 10 of 12 from the floor, including three 3 pointers. Chris Wright added 14 for Dayton, which has won two in a row. Mike Walker scored 16 points and Alex Malone added 13 for SMU (0-4), which shot just 40 percent (21 of 52) for the game. Dayton shot 53 percent (30 of 56).

Dayton 76, Toledo 70

Chris Wright scored 26 points and pulled in 12 rebounds to lead the Dayton Flyers to a 76-70 win over Toledo on Wednesday night. Wright, who had his second double-double in three games, shot 10 of 13 from the field and made all six free throw shots. Dayton led by 20 points two minutes into the second half. Toledo closed within 5 points with a minute left to go, but Wright and Jimmy Binnie made free throws to preserve the win. Two other Dayton players scored in double figures. Charles Little scored 20 points and Brian Roberts added 12. Tyrone Kent scored 24 and Jonathan Amos had 20 for Toledo in a game that only had three lead changes. The Flyers shot 53 percent from the field, while the Rockets shot 48 percent.

George Mason 67, Dayton 56

Folarin Campbell scored a season-high 20 points and led three Patriots in double figures as George Mason beat Dayton 67-56 Saturday. George Mason's defense limited Dayton to 36 percent shooting, including just 28 percent in the first half. The Patriots have not allowed an opponent to shoot greater than 37 percent this season en route to their first 3-0 start since 1980-81. Will Thomas recorded his second double-double of the season with 18 points and 17 rebounds, while Jordan Carter added a career-high 15 points. Thomas and Campbell fueled a 12-7 spurt in opening minutes of the second half as the Patriots took their largest lead, 41-29, with 13:59 remaining. George Mason went 21 for 21 from the free throw line, which set a school record. Brain Roberts, who led Dayton (1-1) with 25 points, scored 14 second-half points and helped the Flyers cut the margin to four points on four occasions. Carter and Thomas, who combined to score all of George Mason's points in a 12-5 run to close the first half, led the Patriots to a 29-22 halftime lead. George Mason owned the backboards, out-rebounding the taller Flyers 42-35.

Dayton 78, ETSU 74

Guard Brian Roberts scored 31 points to lead Dayton over ETSU 78-74 on Saturday. Roberts was nine for 15 shooting from the field, including four of eight from behind the three-point-line. Chris Wright added 22 points for the Flyers, who shot 47 percent overall and 46 percent from behind the three-point line. Dayton managed to win the game despite having 15 turnovers. ETSU had had 12. Courtney Pigram scored 30 points for ETSU, while Andrew Reed and Kenyona Swader added 9 points a piece. ETSU had the largest lead in the game at 9 with 10 minutes to go in the first half. There were 15 lead changes.

2007-08 Season Opens Against ETSU


The University of Dayton Flyers open their 100th season of basketball Saturday when the Flyers host the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on Tom Blackburn Court at 2 p.m. ET. Saturday's game will be the season opener for both teams. The game will be available over the Internet with live stats on Gametracker and free streaming video at www.DaytonFlyers.com.
 

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