Crutcher leads Dayton to third straight victory

“I know I have to come out every game and be aggressive from the beginning to the end,” said Crutcher in a phone interview after the game. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

Crutcher also had five rebounds and four assists. He’s averaging 19.5 points, the third-highest total in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

“Like I say all the time, he’s a really talented player,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “They threw a lot of different guys at him, a lot of different looks. He was able to consistently deliver.”

The game was played at George Mason’s EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va., instead of George Washington’s Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C. Road closures around Washington and the threat of violent protests three days before Inauguration Day prompted the switch, which was announced five days before the game.

Dayton (8-3, 4-2) and George Washington (3-9, 2-3) will play again at 7 p.m. Wednesday at UD Arena. That game will be televised on ESPN+. Former Flyer Ryan Mikesell will provide color analysis on the broadcast.

Dayton has won three straight games since a 55-54 loss at Fordham on Jan. 5. It’s tied with Davidson (8-5, 4-2) for fifth place in the Atlantic 10 Conference. St. Bonaventure (6-1, 4-1) and Massachusetts (5-1, 4-1) are tied for first. Virginia Commonwealth (10-3, 3-1) and Richmond (9-3, 3-1) have a percentage points lead over Dayton and Davidson.

“It feels good to get a couple wins in a row,” Dayton’s Ibi Watson said. “We’re starting to come together and play with each other.”

Dayton made 9 of 20 3-pointers (45 percent). It has topped 40 percent in each of its A-10 victories. The Flyers also committed a season-low nine turnovers. They have averaged 10.6 turnovers in the last three games after averaging 16.6 in the first eight games.

“That was good to see,” Grant said on WHIO’s postgame radio show with Larry Hansgen. “I love the 19 assists on 24 made baskets as well. That was key for us. They threw a lot of different looks at us. They switched a lot. They were really long and athletic. They were versatile at all five spots. For a while there, we had a difficult time with the physicality, so it was good to see our guys figure it out at the end and make the game easier for each other.”

Mustapha Amzil and Watson each scored 10 points. Jordy Tshimanga scored nine.

Zimi Nwokeji scored six and had the best dunk of the season in the second half, a tomahawk slam that brought back memories of Obi Toppin’s dunk shows the last two seasons.

“That was great to see him go up strong and finish,” Grant said. “That’s what he’s capable of. With every game, his confidence grows as he gets more experience.”

George Washington’s James Bishop, the A-10′s leading scorer entering the game, scored 17 points, his lowest total in A-10 play.

Dayton owned a double-digit lead for the first 11 minutes of the second half. George Washington cut the deficit to 51-47 with 6:45 to play. At that point, Dayton had scored one point in the last five minutes.

Back-to-back layups by Crutcher and Tshimanga pushed Dayton’s lead to eight points. Then a 3-pointer by Crutcher with 4:35 to go and a free throw by Tshimanga on the next possession gave Dayton a 49-39 lead entering the final four minutes.

“Certainly, every game has runs,” Grant said. “We knew there would be runs. I thought they did a good job of turning up their energy and intensity midway through the second half and were able to cut it to a two-possession game. I thought our guys really responded in the last five or six minutes to preserve the win.”