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DAYTON 60, AUBURN 59 OT
UD hangs on to get past Auburn in overtime
Flyers set an NCAA record for 3-point futility on way to 5-0 start
Saturday, November 29, 2008
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — University of Dayton coach Brian Gregory praised his basketball team for the way it managed to hold on when its mettle was tested in a 60-59 overtime win against Auburn in the Chicago Invitational Challenge on Friday, Nov. 28.
And speaking of holding on, the way both teams pelted the rims with one errant shot after the other, it's a wonder a welder wasn't needed afterward to make some repairs. That metal deserved a little praise, too.
On their way to improving to 5-0, the Flyers set an NCAA record for 3-point futility, going 0-for-24. They "bettered" an 0-for-22 exhibition by Canisius in 1995.
Dayton shot 27.8 percent overall but won with some clutch foul shooting and a monster effort on the boards. At one point, the Flyers were just 5-for-16 from the free-throw line, but they made their final 15, including all seven in OT. They out-rebounded the Tigers (3-2), 60-43.
"Our guys stuck with it and gutted it out," Gregory said. "It wasn't pretty. But when you beat an SEC team on a neutral court, it's hard not to call that pretty."
Marcus Johnson scored a team-high 16 points, including four free throws in the final 14.6 seconds of OT. Johnson's last pair gave UD a 60-57 lead with 4.7 seconds to go. Auburn's DeWayne Reed was fouled with 1.4 seconds left, made the first foul shot and tried to miss the second intentionally, but his high-arcing attempt went in.
UD threw a deep inbounds pass to run out the clock.
"MJ is a real clutch player," said UD forward Chris Wright, who had 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. "They were talking trash at the free-throw line, but I knew he'd knock them down. That's the type of situation you play for."
The Flyers, who led by nine in the second half, went the final 4:14 of regulation without scoring, and neither team scored in the last 3:14.
Stat of the game
The last time UD failed to make a 3-pointer was in 2005-06 against Grambling (0-for-8). They went 93 straight games before that with at least one make.
Quote
"I've been around a long time, and I don't think I've seen an 0-for-24," Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Today's game
Who: Dayton vs. Marquette
When: 8 p.m.
Radio: WHIO-AM (1290), WHIO-FM (95.7)
TV: WHIO (Channel 7)
