DAYTON – The University of Dayton men's basketball team was victorious 63-56 in its first Atlantic 10 game of the season against Fordham on Wednesday afternoon at UD Arena. 
 
The Flyers (10-4, 1-0 A-10) led the entire way in a competitive contest that went down to the very end, ultimately earning a W to get back into their winning ways against the Fordham Rams (9-5, 0-1 A-10). 
 
Senior Jordan Derkack was impressive on the afternoon as he recorded a career high in rebounds with 14 and a Dayton career high in points with 15 for the third double-double of his collegiate career. Three other Flyers contributed double-digit points as redshirt  sophomore Jaiun Simon scored a career-high 11 points, while senior Javon Bennett and junior De'Shayne Montgomery recorded 11 and 10 points apiece. 
 
GAME RECAP
First Half – Dayton 30, Fordham 24

• Jacob Conner started the scoring for the Flyers on their first possession of the contest, catching a lob from De'Shayne Montgomery for two points. 
• Keonte Jones extended the Flyer lead to 5-0 by knocking down a three-pointer off an assist from Montgomery on the next possession. 
• After four straight points from Fordham, Jordan Derkack drove to the basket from the corner and finished off a physical layup to push the lead to 7-4 with 17 minutes left on the clock.
• Montgomery then blew past the Rams' defense for a layup and his first points of the afternoon. 
• After the media timeout, Jaiun Simon got his first bucket of the game with a drive to the hoop to make the score 11-4 with 15:30 left in the half. 
• Simon scored his second basket of the game to break an over-three-minute scoring drought and push the UD lead to five at the 12-minute mark.
• Sean Pouedet grabbed a steal on the defensive end that he then threw to Bryce Heard at the other end of the court for a fast break slam. 
• Montgomery then recorded another steal in transition, the third for the team in the first 10 minutes, which he took to the basket for a layup to push the Dayton lead to nine. 
• After Fordham responded with a three, Montgomery took the ball inside and finished off a layup for his sixth point of the game. 
• A cold stretch for the Flyers saw Fordham go on a 7-0 run and get back within one, but Javon Bennett knocked down a corner three while getting fouled and would go on to convert the and-one to push the lead back to five at 23-18 with 5:42 left in the half. 
• Simon then made a layup on the next possession to extend the lead to seven.
• The Rams would cut it to four, but it was another Bennett three, this time off an assist from Simon, that made the score 28-21 with 2:30 on the clock. 
• Simon would knock down two shots from the charity stripe to give him eight points on the game, tying his career high. 
• At the half, Simon's eight points led the team while Derkack had grabbed seven of the Flyers' 15 rebounds. 
• All nine available scholarship players for UD saw action in the first nine minutes of the half.

Second Half – Dayton 62, Fordham 56

• Montgomery got the scoring started with a bang as he grabbed a steal off of a Fordham inbound play and took it coast to coast for a slam.
• Derkack finished a contested layup to give UD an eight-point advantage at 34-26 with 17 minutes left in the game. 
• After Bennett grabbed an offensive rebound, he kicked it out to a wide-open Jones for three.
• On the next possession, Bennett got around his defender with an impressive up-and-under move before hitting a reverse layup to extend the Flyer lead into double digits at 39-28 with 15 minutes left to play.
• A 9-0 run from Fordham cut the UD advantage to four at 41-37, but Derkack converted two free throws after being fouled while grabbing his 11th rebound of the contest and extended the lead back to six.
• The Rams would respond with a triple, but Derkack found Conner underneath the basket for a dunk to put the lead back at five. 
• Out of the media timeout, Montgomery took a defensive rebound the distance for two points as he got himself into double-figures scoring with 10 points. 
• Jones intercepted a pass on the defensive end for his third steal of the game and got the ball to Derkack, who converted through a foul to earn an and-one, which he would make to give the Flyers a 50-45 lead with 7 minutes left to play. 
• On the next possession, Derkack continued his perfect shooting performance from the line as he hit his fourth and fifth attempts of the game.
• Derkack converted another layup, his seventh straight point for the Flyers, to push the lead to seven. 
• Bennett intercepted a Fordham inbound pass out of the media timeout and took it all the way to the rim, giving him 11 points on the game, becoming the third Flyer in double-figures. This is his fifth straight game scoring double-digit points. 
• Derkack continued his impressive game with another physical finish at the rim to push the lead back up to seven at 58-51 with 2:15 left to play.
• Simon got himself a new career high with his tenth point as he pushed Dayton ahead 60-51 with a minute left. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 9 - The Flyers played all nine available scholarship players in just the first nine minutes of the game. 
• 11 - Jaiun Simon set a new career high in points with 10.
• 11 - Dayton grabbed 11 steals as a team in the game. It is their 10th game of the season with double-digit steals. Javon Bennett and Keonte Jones led with three apiece. 
• 14 and 15 - Jordan Derkack brought in 14 rebounds, a new career-high. He also set a season-high in points with 15 for his third collegiate double-double.
• 10 - Bennett, Jones and De'Shayne Montgomery shared team honors in +/- with a +10 rating.

UP NEXT
The Flyers will travel to Chicago, Ill., on Saturday, Jan. 3rd to take on the Ramblers of Loyola Chicago. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. ET and be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

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