DAYTON - The University of Dayton men's basketball team rallied back against Saint Louis at UD Arena on Tuesday evening, erasing a 15-point first-half deficit to win 75-67 in Atlantic 10 action.

The Flyers improve to 21-9 overall (11-6 A-10), while the Billikens fall to 17-13 overall (10-7 A-10).

Senior guard Enoch Cheeks led the Flyers as he scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and swiped two steals on the defensive end. Five Flyers had double-digit points on the night; Enoch Cheeks (17), Nate Santos (13), Javon Bennett (10), Zed Key (10), and Amaël L'Etang (10).

First Half – Saint Louis 41, Dayton 28

• The Flyers got a stop on the first possession of the game, and senior Nate Santos wasted no time attacking the lane, powering through for Dayton's first points of the night.
• Redshirt junior Malachi Smith showed relentless hustle, following up his own miss with a putback at the 17:36 mark to keep the Flyers rolling.
• After back-to-back scores from Saint Louis, freshman Amaël L'Etang answered in electrifying fashion—first with a thunderous one-handed slam off a perfect lob from junior Javon Bennett, then with a clutch three-pointer to knot the game at 9-9.
• Junior Jacob Conner made his presence felt, drilling his first bucket of the game with a deep dagger at 14:46. 
• Moments later, redshirt senior Posh Alexander responded to a Saint Louis basket with a dagger of his own.
• The Flyers' persistence on the offensive glass paid off when senior Enoch Cheeks pulled up for a smooth mid-range jumper, evening the score at 17-17 with 13:16 to play in the half.
• Dayton battled through a six-minute scoring drought before L'Etang broke the ice with a strong finish at the rim at the 6:46 mark. 
• Cheeks, determined to find his rhythm, snapped out of a cold stretch by sinking a confidence-boosting three-pointer with 5:25 left in the half.
• Santos continued to assert himself in the paint, muscling in another bucket at 4:46, and Cheeks stayed hot, knocking down another smooth pull-up jumper to keep the Flyers in the fight.

Second Half – Dayton 75, St. Louis 67

• The Flyers came out firing from deep to open the second half, as Smith, L'Etang, and Santos each knocked down a three to ignite the offense.
• Bennett took matters into his own hands, sinking a smooth fadeaway off a screen before drilling a deep three-pointer, cutting the Billikens' lead to single digits at 51-42 with 13:45 to play.
• Key made his presence known in the paint, showcasing his footwork with a strong left-handed turnaround finish to keep the pressure on Saint Louis.
• Following a SLU miss, Alexander pushed the tempo, leading a lightning-fast break and dishing it to Bennett for a tough and-one finish. Bennett calmly sank the free throw, sending the crowd into a frenzy as Dayton pulled within four at 51-47 heading into the media timeout.
• Key kept the momentum rolling, throwing down a thunderous two-handed slam off a perfectly placed lob from Bennett at the 11:06 mark.
• Enoch Cheeks stayed locked in from mid-range, knocking down another smooth jumper to keep the Flyers surging.
• With the energy in UD Arena reaching its peak, Key stepped to the line and coolly knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 51-all with 9:37 remaining. 
• Saint Louis led 60-54 when Cheeks hit back-to-back three pointers to knot the game at 60 with 7:05 to go.
• After Saint Louis momentarily reclaimed the lead, Santos responded with a clutch-and-one finish, converting the free throw to give Dayton its first lead of the game at 63-62 with 6:15 to go.
• The Flyers didn't look back, erupting for a 7-0 run fueled by a crafty layup from Smith, a silky floater from Bennett, and a ferocious slam by Cheeks off a steal, extending the lead to 69-62 and forcing a Saint Louis timeout at the 5:05 mark.
• Dayton's defense locked in down the stretch, holding the Billikens to just two makes on their final 11 attempts, sealing a thrilling and dominant comeback victory in front of an electric home crowd.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 5 - Five Flyers scored in double digits: Enoch Cheeks (17), Nate Santos (13), Javon Bennett (10), Zed Key (10), and Amaël L'Etang (10).
• 43 - Dayton outrebounded St. Louis with 43 compared to Billikens 28.
• 13 - Flyers also made their presence known with 13 offensive rebounds in the contest.
• 18 - 18 points for the Flyers off the bench compared to St. Louis only scored four. 
• 47 - Flyers outscored the Billikens with 47 points in the second half leading to the victory
• 10 - Both Key and Bennett were a team-best +10 for the game
• 15 - UD came back from a 15-point deficit, the largest of the season

UP NEXT

• The Flyers finish up the regular season as they travel to Richmond, Virginia to battle rival VCU on Friday, March 7
• Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.