DAYTON -- The University of Dayton Flyers hit the road for the first time in 2020-21, traveling to Atlanta to face Mississippi State in the second game of the Holiday Hoopsgiving quadrupleheader. The event will be played at State Farm Arena, home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. Game time is 3 p.m.ET.
Dayton is 2-1, after a 66-60 win over Northern Kentucky on Tuesday.
Ibi Watson led UD in scoring for the third time in three games with 19 points.
Jalen Crutcher added 17 points (including the game-clinching free throws with 20 seconds to go) with eight assists.
Chase Johnson had his first career double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds).
The game will carried by WHIO Radio, televised on ESPNU and streamed on the ESPN App. Streaming audio, video and stats will be available at DaytonFlyers.com.
#TRENDING
• Moving into a more visibly primary role this year,
Jalen Crutcher is getting the kind of attention from the media during the preseason that he will no doubt get from opponents during the season. He is on the Naismith, Wooden NABC and Bob Cousy Award Watch Lists.
• Crutcher, a four-year starter, was ranked the 12th-best player in the country by ESPN, 16th in CBSSports.com's top college basketball players. The Athletic rated him sixth among its top 20 guards in the country. He was also named Second Team Preseason All-America by Stadium.
• Keep in mind that Crutcher was UD's co-MVP last season, sharing the honor with the national player of the year and an NBA lottery pick, as well as his roommate and best friend,
Obi Toppin.
• Crutcher has lived up to his nickname of "Clutcher" in both of Dayton's wins, scoring UD's final points in the last seconds at the line to clinch the Eastern Illinois and NKU victories.
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Rodney Chatman is the only returnee who started every game last season. An elite defender, he held several of the best guards UD faced last year well under their average, including NBA top draft pick Anthony Edwards, Saint Mary's Jordan Ford and Rhode Island's Fatts Russell. He had a career-high four steals in the EIU win, and had two blocked shots vs. SMU.
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Ibi Watson has led all scorers in all three Flyer games this season. The Michigan transfer had is fourth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring (19.3) and first in minutes (38.3)
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Chase Johnson's 105 minutes played this year are almost as many (134) as he played in 14 games over parts of three seasons at Florida and Dayton. He had his first career double-double (16 & 10) in the NKU win. He is third in the A-10 in FG% (.692, 18-26)) and 3-pt. FG% (.667, 4-6).
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Jordy Tshimanga was +16 in +/-vs. EIU, with 10 points and eight rebounds, and was +8 against SMU, with eight points, 12 rebounds and three steals.
• Freshman
R.J. Blakney played 21 minutes, and had six points, two rebounds, an assists, a blocked shot and a steal vs. NKU. He had a +10 efficiency rating.
• Coach
Anthony Grant was the consensus national coach of the year in 2019-20, the first UD basketball coach to earn that honor.
UP NEXT
• The Flyers are back home after exams on Saturday, Dec. 19 against Ole Miss at 2:30 p.m. ET.
