Dayton Flyers Triumph Over Saint Louis Billikens
In a noteworthy matchup on Tuesday night, the Dayton Flyers secured a decisive victory over the No. 23-ranked Saint Louis Billikens with a score of 77-62. The standout performer for Dayton was Amael L’Etang, who delivered a personal best of 26 points, while teammate Javon Bennett contributed 17 points to the Ivy League’s success.
Billikens’ Struggles Continue
This defeat marks a troubling trend for the Billikens, who have now suffered two losses in their last three outings after a remarkable 18-game winning streak. With a record of 25-3 and having previously achieved a 25-2 mark only once before in school history, this game prevented them from reaching a 26-2 record—an unprecedented milestone for the program.
Balanced Offensive Effort from Dayton
The Flyers, now sporting a record of 19-9 with a 10-5 conference standing, enjoyed a strong home-court advantage at UD Arena, extending their winning streak against the Billikens to 12 games there. Jordan Derkack added to Dayton’s scoring with 14 points, demonstrating their balanced offensive effort. On the other side, Kellen Thomas led Saint Louis with 24 points, while Dion Brown contributed 15 points to the cause.
Game Highlights
Saint Louis encountered a rough start, shooting poorly and failing to score for nearly five minutes, leading to a 10-0 run from Dayton that gave them an early lead of 13-4. After hovering at 1 for 12 from the field initially, the Billikens managed to claw back to within 11 points late in the second half, spurred on by a three-pointer from Robbie Avila, who finished with 10 points, but ultimately fell short.
Remarkably, Dayton’s first-half shooting display saw them hit 7 of 11 from beyond the arc, contrasting sharply with the Billikens’ mere 1 for 12 performance from the three-point line. By halftime, the Flyers led comfortably at 44-28. Though they started sluggishly in the second half, the Flyers regained momentum with crucial plays, including a Flagrant-1 foul on Quentin Jones that allowed them to extend their lead with two free throws and a layup from Derkack.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Saint Louis is set to host Duquesne on Saturday, while Dayton will travel to face George Washington on Friday, both teams seeking to bolster their respective records in the latter stages of the season.
