What it means: Dayton (9-2) recorded its biggest upset on Tom Blackburn Court since a victory against No. 6 Pittsburgh in 2007.
• Dayton extended its home winning streak to 24 games.
• Dayton improved to 2-0 against Big East teams this season. It beat No. 2 Connecticut 85-67 in November at the Maui Invitational.
• Dayton beat Marquette in the first meeting between the teams since 2008.
• Marquette (9-2) has lost only to Iowa State and Dayton.
Stars of the game: Javon Bennett and Zed Key each scored 15 points for Dayton.
Stat of the game: Dayton outscored Marquette 46-26 in the paint.
Turning point: Dayton trailed 39-26 in the opening minute of the half. It chipped away at the lead until tying the game at 53-53 on a steal and layup by Javon Bennett with 7 minutes, 43 seconds to play.
Dayton took its first lead on the next possession on a layup by Zed Key and led the rest of the way. Dayton ended the game with a 5-0 run with layups by Malachi Smith and Enoch Cheeks sealing the victory.
Looking ahead: Dayton plays UNLV on Tuesday at UD Arena and then plays Cincinnati at the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati on Friday.
HALFTIME RECAP
No. 6 Marquette used a 10-0 run in the first half to build a 36-26 halftime lead against the Dayton Flyers on Saturday at UD Arena.
Here’s a quick recap of the half:
Key players: Chase Ross led Marquette with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting. He made 4 of 4 free throws.
Javon Bennett scored seven points for Dayton on 3-of-5 shooting.
Key stat: Marquette made 5 of 12 3-pointers (42%). Dayton made 1 of 9 (11%).
Big run: Dayton trailed 8-5 with 13 minutes, 24 seconds left in the half after a basket by Amaël L’Etang. Marquette then outscored Dayton 10-0 over the next four minutes, building an 18-5 lead.
Comeback: Dayton cut Marquette’s lead to 21-14 on a dunk by L’Etang at the 7:42 mark. Dayton coach Anthony Grant argued L’Etang was fouled on the play and received a technical foul. Marquette made both free throws.
Marquette pushed its lead back to 13 points, 32-19 at the 3:09 mark. Dayton answered with a 5-0 run.
The Flyers trailed by eight in the final minute and had a chance to get closer in the final seconds, but Malachi Smith missed a mid-range jumper on Dayton’s final possession. Ross scored on a driving layup at the buzzer to give Marquette a double-digit halftime lead.
About the Author
