In a game that was far less eventful than the last one in this arena — at least off the court — Dayton (15-7, 5-4 Atlantic 10) defeated Saint Louis (13-9, 6-3), 71-63, in front of a sold-out Chaifetz Arena in a high-energy Friday night matchup in St. Louis.
“That was an awesome atmosphere, and I hope they stick with us down the stretch,” Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz said.
From the opening tip to the first media timeout, both teams struggled to find their rhythm, with the Billikens taking an early 6-5 lead.
The Flyers, who entered the game shooting 36.3% from 3-point range on the season, far exceeded their season average, hitting 53.8% from deep in the first half.
Coupled with the Billikens’ struggles on both ends, the home team trailed 37-25 at halftime.
SLU made adjustments in the second half, improving on offense and defense. From the 11:40 mark to 7:04, the Billikens went on a 10-0 run, cutting Dayton’s lead to 54-52.
However, their comeback was derailed by timely shots from the Flyers and costly turnovers down the stretch.
“So many of the turnovers were off boneheaded, soft plays and getting the ball taken out of our hands,” Schertz said.
In the loss, Gibson Jimerson led SLU with 21 points, while Javon Bennett paced Dayton with 19.
One bright spot for the Billikens was freshman Dylan Warlick, who scored 10 points and knocked down two 3-pointers, playing a key role in the comeback attempt.
Up next, SLU travels to Massachusetts on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. ET tipoff on ESPN+.
Dayton, returning home after a two-game road trip, will host Davidson at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on ESPN+.
