Toppin helps Dayton down UMass for 14th straight win
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) Obi Toppin scored 19 points, Jalen Crutcher addeded 17 and No. 6 Dayton won its 14th straight game with a 71-63 victory over Massachusetts on Saturday.
Ryan Mikesell added nine points for Dayton (23-2, 12-0 in Atlantic 10), which hasn't lost since a 78-76 overtime defeat against Colorado on Dec. 21. The Flyers remain unbeaten in regulation this season after carrying the fifth-longest winning streak in Division I into the game.
Tre Mitchell had a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds and Samba Diallo added 10 points for the Minutemen.
UMass (10-15, 4-8) has dropped seven of 10. The Minutemen have lost 10 straight against AP top-10 teams, dating back to a 61-59 upset of No. 7 Connecticut on Dec. 29, 2004.
Dibaji Walker's layup with 11:23 remaining brought the Minutemen within 46-41 after the Flyers led by five at halftime. Crutcher hit back-to-back 3-pointers and added a layup with 7:50 left to push Dayton's lead up to 13.
UMass used a late 7-0 run to pull within single digits and trailed 67-61 after two Diallo free throws with 23 seconds to play.
Toppin missed both free throws and Carl Pierre made a quick layup to made it 67-63 with 14 seconds to go. Crutcher made two free throws to help seal it and Pierre missed a desperation 3 in the closing seconds.
Dayton led 31-26 at the break behind an 11-point first half for Toppin.
Mitchell scored six of his team's first 10 points as UMass led 10-4 five minutes in. A 3-pointer by Mitchell made it 15-10 before Dayton rallied with a 15-0 run while holding the Minutemen scoreless over a nine-minute span.
NUGGETS
The Flyers swept the two-game season series with the Minutemen. Dayton earned a 88-60 home win over UMass in their first meeting on Jan. 11 behind Toppin's game-high 16 points and five steals.
The Minutemen fell 58-46 against then-No. 7 Virginia on Nov. 23, a loss that snapped a five-game winning streak to open the season. UMass has struggled ever since with 15 losses in 20 games.
BIG PICTURE
Dayton: The Flyers will play three of its final six games at home as it aims to keep building momentum ahead of its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2016-17 season. The Flyers are already two clear of last year's win total and would match the 2016-17 team with a victory next game.
UMass: Three wins in five games had the Minutemen feeling good before a setback against Dayton. There was added buzz as they faced their highest-ranked home opponent since a game against No. 2 Saint Joseph on Feb. 25, 2004. UMass' last NCAA Tournament berth in 2014 came in the same season as its last AP Top 25 win, a 81-65 victory over then-No. 19 New Mexico on Nov. 22, 2013.
HOT HANDS
Coming into the game, Dayton boasted the best field goal percentage (52.3 percent) in Division I and ranked second nationally in assists per game (18.3). The Flyers shot 52.9 percent (27 of 51) and had 18 assists against the Minutemen.
UP NEXT
Dayton: Visits Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday night.
UMass: Hosts Saint Louis on Tuesday night.
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