Wehrli replaced center Steve McElvene in the lineup late in the first half as Sam Miller sat with two fouls.
“(St. Joseph’s) had five 3-point shooters out there,” Dayton coach Archie Miller said. “Steve at times is going to be in a position where he’s going to give up 3s. That was the concern going in.”
The Hawks made 3 of 9 3-pointers in the first half as they built a 36-27 lead. They finished 5 of 20 from long range. McElvene didn’t return until the 10:48 mark of the second half when the Flyers trailed 56-43. He scored 10 of his 12 points after that point.
“The second half, I said the hell with it and let Steve go in there to see if he could make something happen, which he did,” Miller said. “He was good on offense for us. He gave us a presence.”
Pollard out: Junior forward Kendall Pollard missed his second straight game with knee pain related to a deep bruise.
Miller said four doctors have examined Pollard. He might need a procedure after the season, but they would like to avoid that. The pain is in an odd place, Miller said, between the knee joint and the femur. Pollard has experienced the pain since December and managed it well until the last three or four weeks.
Miller said Pollard’s status will remain day to day.
“It was very hard not to play him at Rhode Island,” Miller said. “Obviously, it was very hard not to play him tonight. He’s champing at the bit to get back out there. We have to do what’s best for him long term.”
Next game: The Flyers play St. Bonaventure for the second time this season at noon Saturday at UD Arena. The Flyers won the first meeting 85-79 in Olean, N.Y., on Jan. 19. They blew all but six points of a 31-point lead in the second half.
The Bonnies (17-7, 9-4) had a five-game winning streak until Wednesday. They became the second team in the A-10 — Dayton is the other — to lose to last-place La Salle. The Explorers (6-18, 2-11) ended a 10-game losing streak with a 71-64 victory in Philadelphia.
Around the A-10: George Washington (19-7, 8-5) ended a two-game skid Wednesday with an 81-74 victory at Duquesne (15-11, 5-8).
Saint Louis (9-16, 4-9) beat George Mason 79-77 in overtime on a jump shot by Jermaine Bishop with five seconds to play.
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