Dayton rolls over Georgia to open Maui Invitational
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) Obi Toppin scored 25 points, Jalen Crutcher added 20 and Dayton opened the Maui Invitational with an 80-61 rout over Georgia on Monday.
Dayton (4-0) got off to a fast start in its fourth trip to Maui, building a 12-point lead in the opening five minutes behind Teppin. The Flyers stretched it to 18 by halftime and kept the Bulldogs at arm's length by shooting 49%.
Toppin went 9 for 11 from the floor and made all five of his free throws.
Dayton, the 2003 Maui champion, will move on to face No. 3 Michigan State or Virginia Tech.
Georgia (4-1) struggled with turnovers early in its first trip to Maui, digging a deep hole it never had a chance of recovering from.
The Bulldogs had 23 turnovers that led to 22 Dayton points and shot 4 of 16 from the 3-point arc.
Tye Fagan led Georgia with 11 points.
Dayton got the season off to a flying start, winning its first three games by an average of 19.7 points per game.
Georgia opened its second season under Tom Crean with three blowout wins before holding off Georgia Tech last week.
Once in Maui, the Flyers jumped on Georgia through Teppin, making seven of their first eight shots during an opening 16-4 run.
A 6-foot-9 sophomore, Teppin used his length to go around and over the Bulldogs, scoring 14 points in the first five minutes.
Georgia began collapsing around Teppin and that opened the floor for the rest of the Flyers, who led 43-25 at halftime.
The Bulldogs also struggled offensively, turning it over 15 times and missing all seven of their first-half 3-point attempts.
BIG PICTURE
Georgia's good start to the 2019-20 season came to a screeching halt in paradise with a slow start and a rash of turnovers.
Toppin showcased his formidable skills on the national stage and the Flyers showed why they're a popular mid-major pick to make a run in March.
UP NEXT
Dayton faces the winner between No. 3 Michigan State and Virginia Tech in Tuesday's semifinals.
Georgia will play the Michigan State-Virginia Tech loser.
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