In a thrilling matchup on Saturday evening, the Dayton Flyers overcame a significant 13-point deficit to defeat the sixth-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles with a final score of 71-63. Both Javon Bennett and Zed Key played pivotal roles in Dayton’s victory, scoring 15 points each as they came back strong in the second half.
Entering the second half trailing by double digits, Bennett managed to tie the game with a well-executed layup. Key then pushed Dayton ahead, sinking a basket from inside the paint to give the Flyers their first lead at 55-53 with just over seven minutes remaining.
Dayton excelled in the second half, outscoring Marquette by 18 points and showing impressive shooting accuracy at 55.6%. A crucial 5-0 run in the last minute and a half of play secured the victory for Dayton, bringing their season record to 9-2.
In addition to Bennett and Key’s contributions, Nate Santos had a noteworthy performance, adding 12 points and securing 13 rebounds.
For Marquette, Chase Ross was the standout player with 19 points, while Kam Jones added 18. This loss marked the Golden Eagles’ second defeat in their last three games, leaving their record also at 9-2.
The Flyers dominated the boards, outrebounding Marquette by a margin of 38-31, and they effectively capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 21 points compared to Marquette’s 10.
Some highlights of the game included Jones’s three-pointer that initially gave Marquette a 13-point lead right after halftime. However, the Golden Eagles struggled with their shooting and were unable to maintain their advantage as Dayton mounted their comeback. Marquette’s shooting percentage plummeted to just 35.7% in the second half.
A critical moment occurred when David Joplin’s layup brought Marquette within three points at 66-63 with just over a minute left. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, they failed to score again, allowing the Flyers to finish the game strong.
One essential statistic from the matchup was Dayton’s dominance in the paint, scoring 46 points close to the basket, while Marquette managed only 26.
Looking ahead, Marquette is set to host Butler on Wednesday, while Dayton will welcome UNLV to their court on Tuesday.
