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FLYERS & MUSKETEERS RENEW RIVALRY ON SATURDAY
Before a sold-out UD Arena crowd, the University of Dayton Flyers host their long-time rival Xavier Musketeers Saturday at noon ET on Tom Blackburn Court. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2, carried by WHIO Radio and is available with live video, stats and audio at DaytonFlyers.com.
The Flyers, 13-11 overall and 3-7 in Atlantic 10 play, have been snake bit this season in close games. The Flyers have played eight games that have gone down to the final minute this season and have lost all but one. On Wednesday, UD lost at Rhode Island on a three-pointer with 3.3 seconds to go in regulation. Kevin Dillard continues to lead the charge, scoring in double figures in 16 of his last 17 games. Dyshawn Pierre has been strong offensively of late, averaging 11.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in his last three games.
ABOUT XAVIER
Xavier is 14-9 overall and 7-3 in the Atlantic 10, but has lost three of its last four road games. The Musketeers lead the A-10 in rebounding margin for A-10 games only at plus-8.2 and have out-rebounded 13 straight schools, including all 10 conference opponents. XU is led by Semaj Christon, a five-time A-10 Rookie of the Week. Christon leads XU in scoring (15.1 ppg), assists (4.6 apg) and steals (1.5 spg). Travis Taylor is XU’s rebounding leader at 8.3 per game and second-leading scorer at 11.9 points per game.
SERIES STUFF
UD leads the all-time series 84-75, but lost the earlier matchup at Xavier on Jan. 30. 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. Saturday’s game also features the 58th 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 37-20.
GUT WRENCHING
In games decided by five points or less, the Flyers are 1-7 this season. UD went 4-5 in those same games last year.
OTHER NOTES
• Only three Flyers (Dyshawn Pierre, Devon Scott and Khari Price - all freshmen) are scoring more in conference play than in non-conference action.
• In Atlantic 10 games, the Flyers lead in 3-point field goal shooting (.426), second in defensive rebounding (29.5) and are third in field goal percentage (.459).
• Dayton finished non-conference play with 10 victories, the seventh consecutive year achieving 10-plus wins prior to Atlantic 10 action.
• The Flyers are 7-0 this season when scoring 75 or more points.
• Overall, Dayton leads the conference in 3-point shooting (.385).
• Kevin Dillard, a First Team Pre-Season All-Atlantic 10 selection, leads UD in scoring (15.0), assists (4.6), 3-pointers made (45), free throws made (100), free throw percentage (.877), minutes (32.4) and tied for the team lead in steals (29).
• Dillard, a Cousy Award watch list selection, is 10th in the A-10 in scoring, sixth in assists and fourth in free throw percentage.
• Dillard is also 30-of-30 in the last two minutes of the game this season at the charity stripe.
• In the last 12 games, Dillard is shooting 50-of-55 at the free throw line (.909).
• Dillard has scored 20-plus points in a game five times this season, two more than the rest of the Flyers combined (Vee Sanford, Josh Benson & Dyshawn Pierre each have one apiece).
• Devin Oliver ranks third in the Atlantic 10 in overall rebounding (8.4 rpg). He also leads the Flyers with five double-doubles this season and tied for the team lead in steals with 29.
• Oliver has 11 double-figure rebounding games, second-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 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and shooting .536 from the floor.
• Benson has at least one block in six straight games. He’s blocked 11 in the last five games.
• Vee Sanford has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine contests.
• Sanford is shooting .831 at the free throw line, second-best on the team and eighth in the A-10. Sanford is also 18th in the conference in scoring at 12.5 points per game.
• A telling individual stat to UD’s success is turnovers. Vee Sanford is averaging 1.4 turnovers per game in Dayton’s wins this year, and 3.2 in the losses.
• Dyshawn Pierre is UD’s third-leading scorer in conference action, averaging 10.0 points. He recorded his first double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds at Rhode Island.
• Pierre has scored in double figures in three of the last six games.
