FAIRFAX, Va. – The No. 4/3 University of Dayton men's basketball team has continued its hot streak as the Flyers improved upon their best start closing in on March, improving to 26-2 after a 62-55 road victory at George Mason. Dayton has extended its winning streak to 17 games, while remaining undefeated in Atlantic 10 Conference play.
 
Dayton improved to 15-0 in conference and a school-best 26-2 overall. George Mason fell to 4-11 in conference and 15-13 overall.
 
The Flyers were led by Obi Toppin with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting and seven rebounds. Jalen Crutcher also scored in double-digits with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, four rebounds and three assists.
 
GAME BREAKDOWN
1st Half: Dayton 30, George Mason 25
• The Flyers scored the first points of the game at the 19:24 mark when Obi Toppin was sent to the line and made both shots.
• George Mason responded, tying the game, just before Jalen Crutcher hit a three that was followed with a dunk from Toppin, giving Dayton a 7-2 lead.
• The Patriots were able to score three points in a row, tying the game at seven, before Rodney Chatman converted from beyond the arc to bring the lead back to the Flyers.
• Chatman's three started Dayton on a 9-2 run, bringing the score to 16-9 with 11:52 left to play in the half.
• George Mason narrowly outscored Dayton 8-6, cutting the Flyers' lead to five points, leading into a media timeout.
• Coming out of the media timeout, the Patriots were the first to score, before Dayton outscored them 6-3, bringing the Flyers' lead to 28-22 with 3:08 to play.
• The Patriots finished the half outscoring the Flyers 3-2, giving Dayton a five-point lead heading into halftime.
• The Flyers were led by Crutcher with nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and two assists.
• All 30 of Dayton's points were scored by the starters; Each of them had four or more points.
• Dayton converted on 13-of-28 (46.4%) from the field while holding George Mason to 10-of-25 (40%) from the field. 
• The Flyers dominated the paint outscoring the Patriots 22-12 inside.
• George Mason narrowly outrebounded Dayton 17-15; Ryan Mikesell led the Flyers with five with Trey Landers following him with four.
• Dayton was able to score eight points off of the Patriots' seven turnovers.
• The Flyers held the lead for 18:49, with the game being tied for 1:11; Dayton's largest lead was eight points.
 
2nd Half: Dayton 62, George Mason 55
• George Mason started the half with a 9-2 run, giving them a 34-32 lead with 15:10 to play; Toppin was the only Flyer able to score.
• After Toppin hit two from the line, the Patriots were able to convert before Ibi Watson scored five of his own, giving Dayton a three-point lead.
• The Patriots were able to tie the game at 39 points, before Dayton outscored them 10-2, giving Dayton a 49-41 lead; Toppin and Dwayne Cohill both scored four points.
• George Mason cut the lead back to five (53-48) before Toppin caught a high pass from Crutcher and slammed it down. 
• The Patriots outscored the Flyers 14-8, making it a two-point game, with 1:18 left on the clock.
• Dayton brought the lead back to four points when Watson scored, driving in the lane, forcing a George Mason timeout.
• Toppin and Crutcher were both sent to the line, making three free throws, securing a Dayton victory.
• The Flyers were led by Toppin in the half with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and four rebounds.
• Dayton shot 12-of-22 (54.5%) from the field while holding George Mason to 37.5% overall.
• The Flyers outrebounded the Patriots in the half 19-16; Toppin, Landers and Crutcher all had four rebounds.
• Dayton's bench outscored George Mason's 13-2 largely due to Watson's nine points.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Dayton shot 25-of-50 (50%) from the field while holding George Mason to 22-of-57 (38.6%).
• Toppin led all scorers with 19 points on 6-of-12 from the field and 7-of-9 at the line; He added seven rebounds. 
• Toppin had three dunks in the game. He is now at 92 on the season and two away from tying Chris Wright's Dayton career record of 177.
• Crutcher added 13 points on 5-of-11 from the field, four rebounds and three assists.
• All of Watson's points came in the in the final 13:06 after GMU took its only lead of the game.
• Seven different Flyers scored in the game. Dayton's starters combined to score 49 points.
• The Flyers won the rebounding battle 34-33 with Landers and Mikesell leading the team with eight rebounds each.
• Dayton won the battle in the paint outscoring George Mason 44-32.
• After zero bench points in the first half, 13 of the second half points for the Flyers came off the bench; Watson scored nine of those points.
• Dayton held the lead for 33:00 of the game whereas George Mason had the lead for only 1:40. The Flyers' largest lead was eight points.
• The Flyers now have the nation's longest win streak at 17 games.
• Dayton is 26-2 for the first time in school history, has won 17 games in a row in a single season for the first time since the Flyers won 20 in 1951-52, and are 17-0 in the A-10 for the first time ever.
 
UP NEXT 
• The Flyers will return home to Tom Blackburn Court to play Davidson on Friday, Feb. 28. Game time is 7 p.m. ET.