Atlantic 10 Conference Basketball

Dayton vs Xavier Basketball Recap

Dayton 90, Xavier 65

The Dayton Flyers, with a week off, figured to be fresh heading into a must-have game against in-state rival Xavier. With that said, freshness doesn't always equate to quality, so Coach Brian Gregory's team needed to make sure its energy translated into effectiveness.

It most certainly did.

The Flyers out-jumped, out-worked and thoroughly outplayed the Musketeers on Saturday afternoon at University of Dayton Arena, rolling to a 25-point triumph that will keep UD in the NCAA Tournament conversation for the duration of the regular season. A loss to the Atlantic 10's best and most consistent program over the past decade would have severely wounded Gregory's group, but this victory - attained under high-risk, high-reward circumstances - dramatically improves the Flyers' portfolio. This result marks Dayton's second win over a member of the RPI top 25 (the other one being Georgia Tech), and it provides a crucial amount of ballast to a team that's competing with other A-10 schools (such as Richmond, Charlotte and Rhode Island) for an at-large ticket to the field of 65.

Precious little guesswork was needed to break down this blowout. In a game that featured through-the-roof adrenaline surges and rarely achieved a settled and structured form, it was Dayton who used the chaotic feel of this contest to its advantage.

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The action covering this 94-foot canvas resembled a car chase movie. Bodies were flying all over the court. Passes zoomed wide of their targets. Alley-oop passes were thrown at midcourt. Long threes were hoisted in transition before better shot opportunities emerged. Dayton's Chris Wright registered a phenomenal open-court block of a Xavier dunk attempt. Ohioans on both sides of this rivalry were treated to acrobatic exploits for much of the day, but when the entertainment value took a backseat to the urgent business of moving up the A-10 pecking order, it was Dayton - in much greater need of a win - who answered the bell.

With eight minutes left in this game, the die had been cast. Dayton led, 66-49, and was coasting toward the finish line. At that point in the proceedings, UD had attempted more than twice as many foul shots as Xavier (19 to 9) and had outrebounded Chris Mack's Musketeers by a decisive 33-18 margin. Xavier star Jordan Crawford (24 points) hit eight field goal attempts, but his teammates combined for just 13 made shots. On the other hand, Dayton received substantial and blended contributions from its entire roster. Four different Flyers scored in double figures (Wright, Chris Johnson, Rob Lowery, and Marcus Johnson), and UD's bench excelled against the X, outscoring the Musketeers' reserves by a 37-6 count.

Dayton maxed out on Saturday, but now, the Flyers will need to sustain this level of quality for the next five weeks. If they can, they'll have a good chance of making the NCAAs in the end.

By: Matt Zemek
A10-fans.com Staff Writer