ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Dayton men's basketball team outlasted Georgetown in overtime, coming out on top 84-79 over Georgetown in the Flyers' opening game of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday night at State Farm Field House.

With the victory, UD advances to the ESPN Events Invitational championship game against No. 9 BYU. The two will play Friday night at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
 
The Flyers outscored the Hoyas 15-10 in the overtime period and iced the game thanks to a 9-for-10 showing from the free-throw line. Senior Jordan Derkack had five of his 12 points in the extra period, knocking down five-of-six from the charity stripe. Senior Javon Bennett and sophomore Bryce Heard each knocked down big threes, and redshirt sophomore Jaiun Simon put the game out of reach with a pair of free throws in the closing seconds.
 
Sophomore Amaël L'Etang led five Flyers in double-figure scoring, tying a career-best with 18 points. Bennett and junior De'Shayne Montgomery each had 13 points, while Derkack and Heard each added Dayton-highs of 12. Derkack also pulled down eight rebounds, his most in a UD uniform.

GAME RECAP
First Half – Dayton 40, Georgetown 31

• Sophomore Amaël L'Etang scored the first point of the game with a free throw.
• After the Hoyas took a lead, Dayton responded with a 10-0 run, highlighted by five points each for De'Shayne Montgomery and L'Etang.
• Redshirt freshman Malcom Thomas knocked down a shot to put UD ahead 13-3.
• Georgetown cut the Dayton lead to 18-12 when the Flyers used a 9-0 spurt to build its biggest lead of the game, 27-12.
• The difference hovered in double digits until the Hoyas cut it to nine with 1:42 to go in the half.
• L'Etang finished the scoring for the Flyers in the half with a pair of free throws.

Second Half – Dayton 69, Georgetown 69

• Keonte Jones started the Flyers with a slam to push their lead to 11, but Georgetown quickly erased the deficit with a 12-1 run over the next four minutes of play.
• The Hoyas took their first lead since the second minute of the game with 14:24 to go in the game.
• The Flyers responded with a 10-0 run over the next 3:14 to regain the lead at 50-44.
• L'Etang connected on his second three of the night to give Dayton a 53-44 lead.
• Javon Bennett hit his first three of the game with 7:14 remaining to put UD ahead 12.
• Georgetown went on a 15-3 run over the final 5:11 to send the game to overtime.

Overtime – Dayton 84, Georgetown 79

• The Hoyas get on the board first with a three-pointer to go ahead 72-69
• Bennett tied the score at 72-72 with his second three of the game.
• Derkack put UD back on top with a pair of free throws to go up 74-72.
• Heard buried another three to give the Flyers a 77-72 advantage.
• After a Hoyas layup, Derkack knocked down another pair from the charity stripe to put Dayton ahead 79-74.
• Georgetown cut the UD lead to two with :47 to play, but Jones put the Flyers back up by four with two free throws.
• Simon put the game on ice with a pair from the charity stripe with just a few seconds remaining, bringing the game to its final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 31 – points scored by Georgetown in the first half, its lowest first-half total of the season.
• 25 – made free throws for Dayton, the third-most this season.
• 20 – bench points for UD, led by Bryce Head's 12 and six from Malcolm Thomas.
• 18 – points for Amaël L'Etang, tying a career-high
• 12 – points scored by Bryce Heard, a new career-high
• 8 – rebounds for Jordan Derkack, leading UD and setting a new best in a Flyer uniform.
• 11 – three-pointers made by the Flyers in the game, tying a season-high.
• 5 – Flyers with double-figure scoring output, the third time UD has accomplished the feat this season.

UP NEXT
The Flyers play in the ESPN Events Invitational championship game on Friday, Nov. 28 at 9:30 p.m. against No. 9 BYU at State Farm Field House. 

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