Dayton dominates Georgia in first round of Maui Invitational

The Dayton Flyers showed the same Maui Invitational magic they had in 2000, 2003 and 2013, dominating the Georgia Bulldogs from start to finish in the first game of the 2019 tournament.

» PHOTOS: Lahaina Civic Center

Obi Toppin led the Flyers with 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting in an 80-61 victory Monday at the Lahaina Civic Center. Hundreds of Dayton fans in the crowd experienced few moments of doubt as Dayton opened the game with a 14-2 run and led by double digits for the last 30 minutes.

Dayton (4-0) will play Virginia Tech in the semifinals at 8 p.m. (Ohio time) Tuesday. The Hokies upset No. 3 Michigan State 71-66 in the second game Monday.

The Flyers, who won the Maui Invitational in 2003 and are playing in it for the first time since their Elite Eight season in 2013-14, improved to 8-2 in four Maui appearances. They are 4-0 in the first round.

» PHOTOS: Dayton fans in Maui

Each team shot 49 percent in the game, but Dayton made 10 of 27 3-pointers, and Georgia made 4 of 16. The Flyers also outscored the Bulldogs 16-9 at the free-throw line and committed eight fewer turnovers (23-15).

Jalen Crutcher scored 20 points for Dayton on 7-of-15 shooting. He made 4 of 9 3-pointers and hit several big ones in the second half when Georgia showed signs of making a run. That run never came. The Bulldogs got no closer than 13 points in the second half, and Dayton led by as many as 24 points. It would have been a 20-point victory, but Georgia scored the last five points with Dayton's walk-ons on the court.

Rodney Chatman had nine points. Dwayne Cohill scored seven points.

Jordy Tshimanga made his Dayton debut after missing the first three games with a knee injury and played eight minutes. He scored three points in the final minutes.

Jalen Crutcher gives Dayton 58-42 lead at 12:12. pic.twitter.com/llgD8fDcgv
— David Jablonski (@DavidPJablonski) November 25, 2019

Lahaina erupts after a corner 3 by Obi. Dayton has its biggest lead: 69-47 at 708. pic.twitter.com/vW9ngenaFS
— David Jablonski (@DavidPJablonski) November 25, 2019

Between two ferns with the Dayton Flyers, 80-61 winners over Georgia. pic.twitter.com/Z7byjbzHeE
— David Jablonski (@DavidPJablonski) November 25, 2019

FIRST-HALF RECAP

Crutcher got the bounce and the roll on a last-second 3-pointer as the Dayton Flyers extended their lead over the Georgia Bulldogs to 43-25 at halftime Monday in the first round of the Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center.

» LARRY HANSGEN'S TRAVEL DIARY: Day 1 in Maui | Day 2 | Day 3

Dayton dominated the half from the opening tip. Obi Toppin scored 12 of his 16 points as the Flyers led 14-2 four minutes into the game.

Dayton led by as many as 19 points in the half, and Georgia got no closer than 15 in the last minutes.

Crutcher scored 12 points. Ibi Watson scored six. Rodney Chatman had four.

Georgia committed 15 turnovers to Dayton’s six. The flyers shot 48.4 percent from the field. Georgia shot 45.8.