Dayton (19-8, 11-3) won its fourth straight game and stayed tied for second place with Virginia Commonwealth (18-7, 8-3) with four games to play. Davidson (21-4, 11-2) began the day with a one-game lead and plays at home against Saint Louis on Saturday afternoon.
Dayton built a 38-30 halftime lead. It was the first time it led at halftime at Saint Joseph’s since 2012. The 2020 game was tied at 33.
Five Flyers scored in double figures: DaRon Holmes II (18); Malachi Smith (16); Kobe Elvis (13); Toumani Camara (12); and Koby Brea (10).
Smith also had 10 rebounds and six assists, falling four assists short of becoming the first player in school history to record a triple-double. Holmes blocked four shots, adding to his school-record total (66).
The Flyers held the Hawks (10-15, 4-10) to 39.6% shooting from the field. Taylor Funk, who scored 36 points against Dayton last season, had four points.
Dayton made 5 of 11 3-pointers (45.5%), improving to 11-0 when it shoots better than 40 percent. It led by as many as 17 points twice in the second half.
The Flyers return to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Massachusetts at UD Arena and then play in Philadelphia again next Saturday, facing La Salle at 2 p.m.
About the Author
