Obi Toppin led all scorers with 27, and Jalen Crutcher had 21 points for UD.
Much of the second half was more of the same back-and-forth the first half featured. The game was tied at 37 with a little less than 16 minutes left in the game.
That was when Dayton showed signs of life with a 4-0 run courtesy of a lob from Jalen Crutcher to Obi Toppin and then a Jalen Crutcher runner in the lane to put Dayton up 41-37.
The Flyers extended that run to 16-0 to grab a 53-37 lead and they did not look back.
Dayton Flyers finish an undefeated Atlantic 10 Conference season with tonight’s win. No other A-10 team has done this since the league went from a 16 to an 18 conference schedule.
The Flyers have also broken the record for wins in a season with 29. The previous record was 28.
OBI!!! OK, now he’s just clowning on GW. He went between the legs! 55-39 Dayton in the middle of that patented Flyers run. My goodness ... @whiotv @WHIORadio Oh, and it’s #LOWD again. pic.twitter.com/TOEMWwzoQb
— John Bedell (@JBedellWHIO) March 8, 2020
Finally a bit of life for the @DaytonFlyers thanks to an Obi dunk and Crutcher drive. Dayton up 42-37 with 12:42 left. @whiotv
— Mike Hartsock (@MHartsockWHIO) March 8, 2020
This win also ties the record for longest winning streak within the same season in school history with 20 straight wins.
Dayton lead by 26-25 over the George Washington Colonials at halftime.
The first half was characterized by two runs by each team.
A 11-0 run by GW gave the Colonials a 19-12 lead.
Dayton responded with a 10-0 spurt of their own to lead 22-19.
I don’t know what Anthony Grant said in that under-8 huddle, but it’s working. Flyers have answered GW’s 11-0 run with a 5-0 spurt of their own and this place is #LOWD. 19-17 GW. @WHIORadio @whiotv
— John Bedell (@JBedellWHIO) March 8, 2020
Obi Toppin is the only Flyer in double figures with 11. Meanwhile, Jamison Battle is the leading scorer for GW pacing the Colonials with 11.
INITIAL REPORT
The No. 3 Dayton Flyers (28-2 and 17-0) close the regular season Saturday at the University of Dayton Arena against the George Washington Colonials (12-18 and 6-11).
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WHAT’S ON THE LINE FOR UD:
With a win, the Flyers become the first Atlantic 10 team to go undefeated in regular season conference play since George Washington in 2005-06. Dayton would also become the first A-10 team to go 18-0 in conference play since the league returned to an 18-game schedule in 2014-15.
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Also on the line is the Flyers’ 19-game winning streak, currently the longest active streak in the nation. The 19-game streak is one shy of the school record for consecutive wins in a single season. A 20th win in a row would be tied for third all-time in program history.
>>Obi Toppin named as semifinalist for National Player of the Year award
A Dayton win also breaks the school record for victories in a season. The Flyers’ win Wednesday over Rhode Island tied the 1951-52 team who finished 28-5.
>>Dayton Flyers extend nation’s longest winning streak in victory over Rhode Island Wednesday
RADIO AND TV COVERAGE:
>>LISTEN TO THE FLYERS: 1290 and 95.7 WHIO
The game will air on the Home of the Flyers, 1290 and 95.7 WHIO, with coverage starting at 6 p.m. Nancy Wilson will host the Bud Light Pregame Show live from Lee's Ltd. on Brown Street.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with Larry Hansgen and Bucky Bockhorn calling the game courtside.
TV coverage of the game will be carried on Spectrum News 1 and streaming on ESPN+ for subscribers of the ESPN service.
>>Dayton Flyers climb to No. 3 in Associated Press Top 25 Poll
WHIO Radio will also air postgame coverage of the game with John Bedell and Rex Gardecki hosting Flyer Feedback from Flanagan’s Pub.
UP NEXT FOR THE FLYERS:
Dayton’s next game comes in the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn, New York.
The Flyers previously clinched the number one seed in the conference tournament will play their first game Friday, March 13 at noon.
Dayton’s opponent has not been set but they will play the winner of Thursday’s game between the number eight and nine seeds. The seeds remain in flux, but either VCU, Davidson, or UMass will be seeded eight and nine, pending the results of other weekend games.