NIT First Round: Illinois State vs. Dayton, second half
March 17, 2010
By Jacob Rosen photo by Ryan Kozelka
Update: The University of Dayton athletics office announced Wednesday night that the game against Cincinnati will be played on Monday, March 22 at 9 p.m. ET. It will take place at UC's Fifth Third Arena and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Dayton pulled away late in front of the home crowd, defeating Illinois State by the final score of 63-42 on Wednesday night.
The win was the third straight season of a post-season victory for the UD program, as the team advanced to the second round of the NIT. The win also provided a very ceremonious send-off in what will probably be the final game at UD Arena for the six seniors.
After the game, head coach Brian Gregory cited how "this place is very special to them, to me and to all of us." The team could still return home for a later round game in the NIT, but for now, the record stands at 64-7 at home over the past four seasons.
After leading by double digits for most of the first half, it was an uncomfortable start to the second half. Illinois State began to mount a long and bothersome comeback and brought the deficit to just five points at 42-37 with less than 11 minutes left.
The Flyers immediately responded with a passionate 19-1 run over the next eight minutes. The impressive streak re-invigorated the home crowd as Dayton coasted to victory.
Sophomore Chris Johnson led the Flyers with 13 points on the night along with nine rebounds. He recovered after shooting just 1-for-7 in the first half.
Junior Chris Wright finished with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds while seniors Marcus Johnson and Mickey Perry each added nine points as well.
"Our guys did a good job of remaining composed and staying strong down the stretch," head coach Gregory said. "This is a resilient group and I'm proud of them."
Two of the top 40 teams in the nation in rebounding margin, the battle in the paint was going to be a show all night. It was a show but never in question, as the Flyers won the eventual rebounding battle by the final mark of 42-27.
Dayton will travel to #2-seeded Cincinnati in the NIT second round. The Bearcats advanced with a 76-62 victory at home over Weber State tonight. Details on the time for this contest will be announced shortly.
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