DAYTON - The University of Dayton men's basketball team coasted to an 88-48 victory over Canisius in the 2025-26 regular season opener on Monday, Nov. 3, in the Epicenter of College Basketball, UD Arena.

Senior Javon Bennett scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the first 11 minutes of the game, going 8-of-10 from the floor and also adding two steals and two assists. Sophomore Amaël L'Etang added 17 points and a game-high six rebounds, and junior De'Shayne Montgomery added 16 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds.

The Flyers scored the first basket 16 seconds into play and never looked back, saving their largest lead of 40 points for the final buzzer. It marked the most points scored in the season-opener since scoring 93 in the 2019-20 opener against Indiana State. 

UD's defense thrived, forcing 19 turnovers and converting that into 28 points. The Flyers shot 52.9% from the floor for the game while holding the Griffins to 36%. Dayton had 16 assists and 12 steals while committing just four turnovers.
 

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GAME RECAP
First Half – Dayton 51, Canisius 27

• Senior Javon Bennett with a hot start for the Flyers, sinking two lay-ups in the first minute of play.
• Junior De'Shayne Montgomery went to the line twice in a row, making three of four shots, followed by a lay-up at 16:41.
• Bennett made his fourth lay-up of the game, making the score Dayton 13, Canisius 6.
• Sophomore Bryce Heard made a crowd-roaring lay-up, assisted by senior Jordan Derkack off the steal.
• Sophomore Amaël L'Etang made a lay-up, assisted again by Derkack, pushing the Flyers to their first double-digit lead of the game.
• L'Etang dunked with ease to give the Flyers a 12-point lead at 11:02. 
• Redshirt junior Jaiun Simon stepped to the line and made his shot to mark his official season debut.
• Bennett scored an easy three to bring the score to Dayton 31, Canisius 13
• L'Etang scored a lay-up, stepping to the line just after to put another point on the board.
• Montgomery sank a lay-up off a steal for a score of 47-25, Flyers lead. 
• L'Etang brought the energy with a picture worthy dunk to make the crowd rowdy.
• Montgomery closed out the half for the Flyers with two good free throws.

 
Second Half – Dayton 88, Canisius 48

• After a L'Etang old-fashioned three-point play started the half, Jones increased the Flyer lead to 29 with an emphatic alley-oop slam
• Montgomery stole the ball to assist Simon on a three, bringing the score to 59-32 
• Keeping up the momentum, Montgomery stepped to the line for four more points, adding to the Flyers 30-point lead.
• L'Etang made a second-chance three at 7:28 to keep up the energy. 
• Bennett made a lay-up to lead all scorers with his 20th point of the game.
• Derkack went three for four at the line, helping the Flyers keep up their 15-point run.
• Freshman Damon Friery made his first official career point with a good free throw at the three minute mark.
• Redshirt Freshman Malcolm Thomas found himself behind the line, scoring two free throws for his official season debut.
• Junior Evan Dickey makes his first appearance of the season with two good free throws. 
• Friery gave the finishing touch, scoring two points behind the stripe.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 40 – points in the pain for Dayton compared to just 20 for Canisius
• 25 – bench points for UD, led by redshirt junior Jaiun Simon and sophomore Bryce Heard with seven each
• 20 – Points for Javon Bennett, leading the Flyers
• 7 – free throws made by De'Shayne Montgomery on the way to his 16-point night, out-pacing the entire Canisius rosterby two
• 6 – Rebounds for leading rebounder Amael L'Etang
• 6 – steals for Montgomery, a new career-high
• 40 – largest margin of victory in a season opener since beating Illinois State 109-69 in the 1990-91 season

 
UP NEXT
The Flyers return to UD Arena on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. to face off against the UMBC Terriers.