Story Links Box Score (PDF) Next Game: vs. Cincinnati 12/20/2024 | 8:30 PM ESPNU WHIO Radio Dec. 20 (Fri) / 8:30 PM vs. Cincinnati History DAYTON -- The 22nd-ranked University of Dayton men's basketball team earned a 66-65 come-from-behind win in the final seconds against UNLV on Tuesday night at UD Arena. The victory marked the team's 25th consecutive home win. Malachi Smith converted the game-winning and one with eight seconds left to secure the win for the Flyers. Four players recorded double-digit points for UD, led by Nate Santos with 14. Enoch Cheeks led the team in rebounds and assists with six and five respectively.Dayton improves to 10-2 on the season while UNLV falls to 5-5. First Half -- Dayton 27, UNLV 28 Graduate Student Zed Key got the game started for the Flyers by hitting a contested midrange shot that opened the scoring. Senior Enoch Cheeks then grabbed his own miss and put it back up through a foul to head to the line where he converted both free throws. Key then found a cutting Nate Santos who finished off a layup to push the score to 6-2 three minutes into the contest. On the very next possession, Junior Javon Bennett drained a three to give UD a seven-point advantage. After a UNLV bucket on the other end, Junior Malachi Smith finished a tough shot through contact to bring the lead back to seven at 11-4. At the 14-minute mark, Dayton held a two-point lead at 11-9. Each of the Flyers' first five baskets was scored by a different starter. The Runnin' Rebels went on a 7-0 scoring run to tie the game at 11 but Freshman Amaël L'Etang hit a three to give the lead back to UD with 13 minutes left in the half. After a short scoring drought from each team, Smith drove to the basket to lay it in and push the lead to 16-11 with 10:30 on the clock. Senior Posh Alexander swiped a steal after a UNLV three cut into the Flyer lead and converted a layup on the fastbreak. On the next possession, Alexander found L'Etang with a full head of steam to the hoop, and the Frenchman managed to finish through contact to extend the lead to 20-14 with 8:36 on the clock. Santos then threw down a dunk to push the Dayton run to 6-0, forcing UNLV to use a timeout. UNLV responded with a run of their own, scoring eight unanswered points, to tie the game at the under-four timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Bennett hit a falling floater to regain the lead for the Flyers and halt the UNLV run. After exchanging free throws, the Runnin' Rebels made a put-back layup with just over a minute remaining in the half to take their first lead of the night Alexander finished a drive to the hoop through contact to bring the deficit to a single point heading into the break. Second Half – Dayton 66, UNLV 65 Key gave the Flyers the lead back to start the second half with a ferocious alley-oop dunk off of a Malachi Smith assist. On the next possession, Key got to the line where he converted both free throws to push the lead to three. Bennett then made it a 7-0 Flyer run by knocking down a transition three, forcing UNLV to use a timeout just 90 seconds into the half. Cheeks grabbed a steal from the Runnin' Rebels and took it coast to coast, successfully drawing contact and earning two foul shots. On the next trip down the court, Smith once again found Key in the post for an emphatic slam. Dayton took a 2:35 scoring drought that saw them miss four consecutive field goals into the under 16 timeout but they still held on to a 38-35 lead. Alexander finally broke the drought for the Flyers, hitting a contested mid-range to give the Flyers a 40-37 lead with 13:49 left to play. After a UNLV triple tied the game, L'Etang responded with a shot from behind the arc of his own to regain the lead with 11:30 remaining. Santos then finished off a drive on the next possession to give the Flyers a 45-40 lead. Following a UNLV three, Santos finished off another Smith assist on the next trip down to the court to give UD another two-possession advantage halfway through the second half. While in midair, Cheeks found L'Etang open in the post and dished it to him for an easy lay-in. UNLV brought the game back within two at 51-49 but Smith hit a fadeaway jumper to give the Flyers a four-point lead with six minutes left in the game. After a UNLV three cut the lead to one, both teams struggled to hit shots, each going on a scoring drought that lasted over two minutes to keep the score at 53-52 going to the under-four timeout. Out of the timeout, UNLV hit a three to take a two-point lead before Key finished through a foul and converted the and-one opportunity to give the Flyers a 56-55 lead with just over three minutes remaining. The Runnin' Rebels earned two consecutive trips to the charity stripe to take a 56-59 lead. On the offensive end, Key managed to hit two free throws to bring the game back within a point. The foul calls continued on the defensive end for the Flyers as UNLV finished off an and-one opportunity to take a 58-62 lead with 1:25 left. Santos hit a huge three in the corner off of another Smith assist to make it 61-62 with a minute to play. Smith got his own clutch bucket off of a fast break on the next possession to give the Flyers a 63-62 lead with 37 seconds on the clock. UNLV responded with a three of their own to take the lead back at 63-65 with 23 seconds left to play. Smith drove to the basket and finished through a foul to tie the score at 65 with eight seconds remaining. He would convert the free throw to give the Flyers the lead. UNLV's game-winning shot attempt would fall short as the Flyers held on for their 25th consecutive home victory. INSIDE THE NUMBERS 4- Dayton scored on each of their last four possessions to secure the win.4- Four Flyers scored in double figures (Santos-14, Key-13, Smith- 11, L'Etang- 10).7- UD had seven fewer turnovers in the second half than they did in the first (eight in 1st half, one in 2nd).8- The lead switched hands eight times throughout the game.10- Nate Santos led the team in +/- with 10.15- Dayton recorded 15 assists on 24 made field goals.10- Enoch Cheeks led the team in rebounds with 10. UP NEXT• The Flyers will take on #19 Cincinnati in the Hoops Classic at Heritage Bank Arena on Friday night.• Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET Print Friendly Version

Men's Basketball Takes Down UNLV In Final Seconds

Story Links Box Score (PDF) Next Game: vs. Cincinnati 12/20/2024 | 8:30 PM ESPNU WHIO Radio Dec. 20 (Fri) / 8:30 PM vs. Cincinnati History DAYTON — The 22nd-ranked University of Dayton men’s basketball team earned a 66-65 come-from-behind win in the final seconds against UNLV on Tuesday night at UD Arena. The victory marked the […]

DAYTON — The 22nd-ranked University of Dayton men’s basketball team earned a 66-65 come-from-behind win in the final seconds against UNLV on Tuesday night at UD Arena. The victory marked the team’s 25th consecutive home win. Malachi Smith converted the game-winning and one with eight seconds left to secure the win for the Flyers. Four players recorded double-digit points for UD, led by Nate Santos with 14. Enoch Cheeks led the team in rebounds and assists with six and five respectively.
Dayton improves to 10-2 on the season while UNLV falls to 5-5.

First Half — Dayton 27, UNLV 28

Graduate Student Zed Key got the game started for the Flyers by hitting a contested midrange shot that opened the scoring.

Senior Enoch Cheeks then grabbed his own miss and put it back up through a foul to head to the line where he converted both free throws.
Key then found a cutting Nate Santos who finished off a layup to push the score to 6-2 three minutes into the contest.
On the very next possession, Junior Javon Bennett drained a three to give UD a seven-point advantage.
After a UNLV bucket on the other end, Junior Malachi Smith finished a tough shot through contact to bring the lead back to seven at 11-4.
At the 14-minute mark, Dayton held a two-point lead at 11-9. Each of the Flyers’ first five baskets was scored by a different starter.
The Runnin’ Rebels went on a 7-0 scoring run to tie the game at 11 but Freshman Amaël L’Etang hit a three to give the lead back to UD with 13 minutes left in the half.
After a short scoring drought from each team, Smith drove to the basket to lay it in and push the lead to 16-11 with 10:30 on the clock.
Senior Posh Alexander swiped a steal after a UNLV three cut into the Flyer lead and converted a layup on the fastbreak.
On the next possession, Alexander found L’Etang with a full head of steam to the hoop, and the Frenchman managed to finish through contact to extend the lead to 20-14 with 8:36 on the clock.
Santos then threw down a dunk to push the Dayton run to 6-0, forcing UNLV to use a timeout.
UNLV responded with a run of their own, scoring eight unanswered points, to tie the game at the under-four timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Bennett hit a falling floater to regain the lead for the Flyers and halt the UNLV run.
After exchanging free throws, the Runnin’ Rebels made a put-back layup with just over a minute remaining in the half to take their first lead of the night
Alexander finished a drive to the hoop through contact to bring the deficit to a single point heading into the break.

Second Half – Dayton 66, UNLV 65

Key gave the Flyers the lead back to start the second half with a ferocious alley-oop dunk off of a Malachi Smith assist.
On the next possession, Key got to the line where he converted both free throws to push the lead to three. Bennett then made it a 7-0 Flyer run by knocking down a transition three, forcing UNLV to use a timeout just 90 seconds into the half.
Cheeks grabbed a steal from the Runnin’ Rebels and took it coast to coast, successfully drawing contact and earning two foul shots.
On the next trip down the court, Smith once again found Key in the post for an emphatic slam.
Dayton took a 2:35 scoring drought that saw them miss four consecutive field goals into the under 16 timeout but they still held on to a 38-35 lead.
Alexander finally broke the drought for the Flyers, hitting a contested mid-range to give the Flyers a 40-37 lead with 13:49 left to play.
After a UNLV triple tied the game, L’Etang responded with a shot from behind the arc of his own to regain the lead with 11:30 remaining.
Santos then finished off a drive on the next possession to give the Flyers a 45-40 lead.
Following a UNLV three, Santos finished off another Smith assist on the next trip down to the court to give UD another two-possession advantage halfway through the second half.
While in midair, Cheeks found L’Etang open in the post and dished it to him for an easy lay-in.
UNLV brought the game back within two at 51-49 but Smith hit a fadeaway jumper to give the Flyers a four-point lead with six minutes left in the game.
After a UNLV three cut the lead to one, both teams struggled to hit shots, each going on a scoring drought that lasted over two minutes to keep the score at 53-52 going to the under-four timeout.
Out of the timeout, UNLV hit a three to take a two-point lead before Key finished through a foul and converted the and-one opportunity to give the Flyers a 56-55 lead with just over three minutes remaining.
The Runnin’ Rebels earned two consecutive trips to the charity stripe to take a 56-59 lead.
On the offensive end, Key managed to hit two free throws to bring the game back within a point.
The foul calls continued on the defensive end for the Flyers as UNLV finished off an and-one opportunity to take a 58-62 lead with 1:25 left.
Santos hit a huge three in the corner off of another Smith assist to make it 61-62 with a minute to play.
Smith got his own clutch bucket off of a fast break on the next possession to give the Flyers a 63-62 lead with 37 seconds on the clock.
UNLV responded with a three of their own to take the lead back at 63-65 with 23 seconds left to play.
Smith drove to the basket and finished through a foul to tie the score at 65 with eight seconds remaining. He would convert the free throw to give the Flyers the lead.
UNLV’s game-winning shot attempt would fall short as the Flyers held on for their 25th consecutive home victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

4- Dayton scored on each of their last four possessions to secure the win.
4- Four Flyers scored in double figures (Santos-14, Key-13, Smith- 11, L’Etang- 10).
7- UD had seven fewer turnovers in the second half than they did in the first (eight in 1st half, one in 2nd).
8- The lead switched hands eight times throughout the game.
10- Nate Santos led the team in +/- with 10.
15- Dayton recorded 15 assists on 24 made field goals.
10- Enoch Cheeks led the team in rebounds with 10.

UP NEXT
• The Flyers will take on #19 Cincinnati in the Hoops Classic at Heritage Bank Arena on Friday night.
• Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET