Dayton back to .500 with victory against Wagner

Dayton led by as many as 24 points in the first half, but Wagner rallied and got as close as six points, 71-65 with 3:18 to play. Dayton sealed the victory by making 6 of 6 free throws in the final three minutes.

Dayton made 22 of 26 free throws, while Wagner made 14 of 17.

FIRST-HALF RECAP

Four days after missing all 11 of his shots against Saint Mary’s, Darrell Davis made his first five against Wagner, scoring 14 points in the first half Saturday at UD Arena.

The Dayton Flyers built a 43-21 halftime lead, their biggest lead at the half this season. Davis opened the scoring with a four-point play and then made two more 3-pointers, a layup and a jump shot in the first six minutes.

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Key stat: Dayton held Wagner to 28 percent shooting from the field (7 of 25). Wagner made 3 of 11 3-pointers. Dayton made 16 of 29 shots (55.2) and 6 of 14 3-pointers (42.9).

» SAINT MARY’S GAME: Five reasons Dayton lost | Photos | Notes

Big run: Dayton trailed 5-4 and then scored 16 straight points.

Big play: Jalen Crutcher threw an alley-oop pass to Kostas Antetokounmpo, who soared well above the rim to catch it and dunk it late in the half.