DAYTON -- The University of Dayton Flyers are back on the road for the second straight game, visiting Rhode Island on Saturday. Game time is 4 p.m. ET. Dayton is 15-8 this season, and third in the Atlantic 10 with a 7-3 record. UD's losses are to teams with a combined record of 123-53 (.699 winning percentage). Two of the teams are ranked, and one is getting votes.
The game will carried by WHIO Radio, and televised on the CBS Sports Network. Streaming audio, streaming video and stats will be available at DaytonFlyers.com.
THE NEARLY-TRANSFORMED UD ARENA
The University of Dayton is past the halfway point of a $72 million renovation of its Arena. The transformation of University of Dayton Arena will occur in three phases – from 2017 to 2019.
Phase II included new entrances on three of the four sides, a new box office, new seats in the 300 and 400 levels on the east side and a new and expanded concourse on the east side.
#TRENDING
• Through games of Feb. 5,
Obi Toppin was third in the nation in field goal percentage. Toppin is shooting .680 (132-194) for the year, behind Gonzaga's Brandon Clarke (.689) and Duke's Zion Williamson (.682).
• Toppin scored career highs in both games last week, getting 25 vs. St. Joe's and 26 vs. Duquesne. In the last three games, 39 of his 62 points have come in the second half.
• Toppin's 60 dunks are six away from the UD single-season record set by Chris Wright in 2009-10. The 60 dunks are also the second-most in D-I this season, one behind Texas' Jaxon Hayes.
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Josh Cunningham is 19th in FG% (.615, 115-187). No other team has 2 in the top 20, and only 1 other (Gonzaga) has 2 in the top 25. Cunningham has 39 rebounds in his last 4 games.
• Dayton is fifth in the NCAA (behind Gonzaga, Tennessee, South Dakota State and Creighton) and leads the Atlantic 10 in FG% (.498, 641-1287).
• The Flyers have battled back from double-digit second-half deficits three times this year.
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Jalen Crutcher leads the A-10 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4) and is the only player in the A-10's top ten in A/T ratio, assists (2nd, 5.7) 3-pt. FG per game (4th, 2.3), 3-pt. FG% (7th, .371, 53-143) and minutes played (7th, 36.0).
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Ryan Mikesell leads UD in +/- this season (+6.04). In the last seven games, Mikesell has scored 83 points (11.9 avg.), while shooting .568 (25-44) FG and .842 (16-19) FT. He had scored 38 total points (5.6 avg.) in his previous seven games.
• The Flyers matched last year's win total (14) before Feb. 1.
• The Final Five Dayton's home games have been declared sellouts. That gives the Flyers eight for the season, tying the UD Arena record. The Arena had eight in the 1969-70, the first season Dayton basketball moved across the Great Miami River.
UP NEXT
• UD is back home against VCU on Saturday, Feb. 16. Game time is 4 p.m. ET.
