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UD and Xavier have met more times than any of the other Atlantic 10 schools. Dayton leads the all-time series 84-74. |
Tickets | Cintas Center
Streaming Audio | Live Stats
DAYTON AND XAVIER RENEW RIVALRY ON WEDNESDAY
Winners of their last two, the University of Dayton Flyers head down I-75 to face the Xavier Musketeers on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network, carried by WHIO Radio and is available with live stats and audio at DaytonFlyers.com.
The Flyers, 12-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play, won a pair of games at home last week. UD’s three conference losses were all against teams in the RPI Top 50. In Atlantic 10 games, the Flyers lead in defensive rebounding (26.6), 3-point field goal shooting (.453), 3-point field goals made (9.5) and rebounding margin (+12.5). Kevin Dillard leads Dayton in scoring (14.9), assists (4.8), three-pointers made (35), free throws made (85), free throw percentage (.867), minutes (31.8) and steals (25). Devin Oliver ranks second in the A-10 in rebounding averaging 8.6 per contest.
ABOUT XAVIER
The Xavier Musketeers enter the game 11-8 overall and 4-2 in the Atlantic 10. At the Cintas Center, Xavier has been tough to beat with a 7-2 record. The Musketeer defense allows 60.7 points per game, second-best in the conference. XU is led by Semaj Christon, who averages 14.9 points and 4.7 assists per game. Travis Taylor is averaging close to a double-double in A-10 action with 10.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest.
SERIES STUFF
UD leads the all-time series 84-74, but lost two of three versus Xavier last season. The Flyers have not won at Xavier since Jan. 10, 1981, a span of 27 consecutive games. In addition to this series being the most games against any opponent for both schools, the first Xavier varsity basketball game was against Dayton on Feb. 20, 1920 (UD won 24-18). The two teams have met at least once every year since 1946-47. Wednesday’s game also features the 57th contest with the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy on the line. Since 1980-81, the winning team receives the “Black/Mac” trophy, which is named after the two legendary coaches who put their two schools on the basketball map - Dayton’s Tom Blackburn and XU’s Jim McCafferty. The trophy series only covers regular season meetings, and XU leads the trophy series 36-20.
OTHER NOTES
• UD and Xavier have met more times than any of the other Atlantic 10 schools. Dayton leads the all-time series 84-74.
• Dayton has not won at Xavier since Jan. 10, 1981, a span of 27 consecutive games.
• Four of Dayton’s seven losses have come by a total of six points.
• In Atlantic 10 games, the Flyers lead in assists (16.4), defensive rebounding (26.6), 3-point field goal shooting (.453), 3-point field goals made (8.6) and rebounding margin (+12.0).
• Dayton finished non-conference play with 10 victories, the seventh consecutive year achieving 10-plus wins prior to Atlantic 10 action.
• In Dayton’s 12 wins, the Flyers are shooting .497 from the field. In the seven losses, the field goal percentage drops to .403.
• The Flyers are 7-0 this season when scoring 75 or more points.
• Overall, Dayton leads the conference in 3-point shooting (.385) and ranks second in scoring offense (72.9), assists (14.7), field goal percentage (.461), defensive rebounding (30.1) and rebounding margin (+5.9).
• Dayton is 6-0 this season when Kevin Dillard dishes five or more assists in a game.
• Dillard, a Cousy Award watch list selection, is 12th in the A-10 in scoring, sixth in assists and sixth free throw percentage. He has scored in double figures in all but one game this year.
• Dillard is also 26-of-26 in the last two minutes of the game this season at the charity stripe.
• Devin Oliver leads the Flyers with four double-doubles this season.
• Oliver has nine double figure rebounding games, the most in the Atlantic 10.
• Josh Benson is producing at a similar clip as he did last season before his torn ACL. In 2012-13, Benson is averaging 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and shooting .554 from the floor.
• Benson ranks fifth in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage.
• Vee Sanford has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 13 contests.
• Sanford is shooting .828 at the free throw line, second-best on the team and ninth in the A-10. Sanford is also 21st in the conference in scoring.
• Dyshawn Pierre is UD’s third-leading scorer in conference action, averaging 11.0 points. He is shooting .556 from the field against A-10 opponents.
• Matt Derenbecker went 5-for-9 (.556) from beyond the arc versus Fordham and Duquesne last week. He ranks fourth in the A-10 in three-point field goal percentage (.443).
• The past two games, Jalen Robinson averaged 9.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in 36 minutes.
