When: 7 p.m. Friday.
TV: ESPN2/1290 and 95.7 WHIO
Series: Dayton leads 9-3. The Flyers won the first matchup this season 74-65 on Jan. 2 at UD Arena. Jalen Crutcher scored seven of his career-high 26 points in the final 90 seconds as Dayton clinched the victory in the final minutes.
Last game: Dayton lost 69-64 at Duquesne on Tuesday. George Mason lost 84-67 at St. Bonaventure on Saturday.
Coaches: Anthony Grant is 74-36 in four seasons at Dayton. Dave Paulsen is 90-89 in six seasons at George Mason.
Probable Dayton starters
Name, Ht., Class, Pos., Avg.
Jalen Crutcher, 6-1, Sr., G, 19.3
Ibi Watson, 6-5, R-Sr., G, 15.2
Mustapha Amzil, 6-10, Fr., F, 10.9
Jordy Tshimanga, 6-11, R-Sr., C, 6.3
Elijah Weaver, 6-6, Jr., G, 5.2
Probable George Mason starters
Jordan Miller, 6-6, Jr., 15.9
Tyler Kolek, 6-3, Fr., G, 11.0
Javon Greene, 6-2, Sr., G, 10.9
AJ Wilson, 6-7, R-Sr., F, 9.1
Josh Oduro, 6-9, So., F, 9.9
About Dayton: KenPom.com gives Dayton a 77 percent chance of winning this game and predicts a 69-61 score. ... In Dayton’s four A-10 losses, Watson has made 1 of 21 3-pointers. He’s shooting 40 percent from 3-point range (36 of 90) after missing all 10 of his 3-point attempts at Duquesne. ... In conference-only stats, Dayton ranks second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (30.1). ... Amzil was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week on Monday for the second time this season. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds in victories against Saint Louis and Rhode Island. ... Tshimanga was held without a rebound Tuesday for the third time in 42 games in two seasons at Dayton.
About George Mason: The Patriots rank fifth from last in the country in free-throw percentage (59.8). Dayton ranks 85th in the country (73.6), which would be its highest ranking since 2012 when it ranked second (77.7). ... George Mason ranks 171st in the NCAA Evaluation Tool. Dayton ranks 91st. There are seven A-10 teams in the top 100, led by No. 31 St. Bonaventure.
Looking ahead: Dayton plays at Massachusetts (6-4, 5-2) at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
About the Author
