DAYTON, Ohio - An off-balanced 3-pointer by Cody Ellis with 1.1 seconds left sent the game into overtime, but Dayton out-scored the Billikens 15-8 in the extra session for a 79-72 victory Wednesday at UD Arena. It was the Atlantic 10 Conference opener for both squads.
The loss dips the Billikens to 12-3 overall and 0-1 in the A-10, while Dayton improves to 11-4 and 1-0. SLU will have to regroup quickly, as A-10 play continues Saturday when George Washington visits for a 7 p.m. tilt at Chaifetz Arena.
Trailing by three with 13 seconds remaining, Kwamain Mitchell had the ball at the top of the key and found Ellis on the left elbow. He fired an off-balanced trey that banked in to tie the score at 64-64, sending the game into overtime. It marked the sixth time in six years that the Billikens and Flyers played an overtime game.
Dayton never trailed in OT. UD hit its first four free throws in the extra session to go up four, but another trey by Ellis brought the Billikens to within one. Luke Fabrizius hit a triple for Dayton, and Paul Williams scored on a jumper after a Mike McCall free throw to make it 73-68 with just over a minute remaining. The Dayton deficit wouldn't fall below five the rest of the way, and the Flyers held on for the seven-point win.
Five Billikens scored in double figures, led by Brian Conklin's 14. Dwayne Evans and Ellis had 12, while Mitchell scored 11. McCall scored 10 for the Billikens, who are on their first losing skid of the season with their second loss in a row.
Mitchell hit the first two shots of the game, and Rob Loe converted a 3-point play to put the Billikens up 7-2 early. Later in the half, Ellis hit a pair of free throws and Evans registered a 3-point play to put the Billikens on top 14-7.
A pair of Conklin free throws gave the Billikens an eight-point lead at 26-18 with six minutes to go, but Dayton would go on a 10-0 run, rallying the UD Arena crowd of 11,815 as the Flyers took their first lead of the night at 28-26.
The UD lead was short-lived, however, as the BIllikens would answer with a 10-0 run of their own. Jordair Jett sparked the rally with a dunk and Evans hit a basket in the paint. McCall ended the half scoring the Billikens' next six point, and SLU went into the locker room with a 36-28 halftime lead.
The Billikens' seven-point cushion was quickly diminished in the second half, as UD got 3-pointers from Fabrizius and Chris Johnson to cut its deficit to two. Jumpers by Jett at 15:39 and Ellis at 14:29 kept the Billikens ahead by five, but Kevin Dillard would later drain a pair of free throws to pull the Flyers within one at 47-46 with 13:33 remaining.
The Billikens' next five points would come via the free throw, and SLU led by six at 52-46 with 10 minutes to go. But the resilient Flyers played their way back into the game, and took their first lead three minutes later when Devin Oliver buried a jumper, giving Dayton a 55-54 lead with seven minutes left.
SLU quickly regained the lead and held it until the final minute. Dillard scored the final seven points in regulation for Dayton, giving the Flyers the 3-point lead late prior to Ellis' remarkable shot to send the game into overtime.
