DAYTON – The University of Dayton men's basketball team stormed out to an early lead and never looked back, handing No. 23 Saint Louis its most lopsided setback of the season on Tuesday night, 77-62, in front of a raucous UD Arena crowd.
 
The Flyers (19-9, 10-5 A-10) won their fourth consecutive Atlantic 10 game, while the Billikens (25-3, 13-2 A-10) dropped their second of A-10 play and third of the season. UD held SLU to its lowest offensive output of the season in both points scored and shooting percentage.
 
Sophomore Amaël L'Etang led the Flyers with a career-high 26 points and registered his second straight double-double by bringing down 10 rebounds. Senior Javon Bennett poured in 17 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists, while fellow senior Jordan Derkack added 14 and five boards. 
 
Dayton shot 47.1% (24-of-51) for the game, including 75% (21-for-28) free-throws, while Saint Louis was 40% (22-for-55) for the game and 23.8% (5-for-21) in three-pointers. The Flyers got off to a hot start in the first half, taking a 25-point lead on the backs of a 55.6% (15-of-27) shooting performance from the floor, with an eye-popping 63.6% (7-of-11) from downtown.
 
The win was the Flyers' first over a ranked opponent this season, as well as the first Quad One victory. UD's last win over a Top 25 team in the Epicenter of College Basketball, UD Arena, was an eight-point victory over No. 6 Marquette last season. 
 
GAME RECAP
 1st Half – Dayton 44, Saint Louis 28

• Sophomore Amaël L'Etang kicked off the game with a defensive rebound and drove the ball down to put in a layup for the Flyers' first points.
• Graduate Student Keonte Jones went one for two at the line to make the score Dayton 3, Saint Louis 2.
• Senior Javon Bennett sank a three pointer to create the lead for the Flyers.
• Junior Jaiun Simon kept the momentum for the Flyers with a dunk to keep a steady lead. 
• Junior De'Shayne Montgomery made a layup on a fast break after a block from L'Etang at 15:16.
• L'Etang drained a three with seconds left on the shot clock.
• Simon at the line went two for two making the score Flyers 15, Saint Louis 6. 
• Senior Jordan Derkack made a jumper for his first points of the game. 
• Jones met the rim with a dunk, assisted by Montgomery with 9:32 left on the clock.
• Jones made a layup to maintain the lead. 
• L'Etang earned the Flyers another three pointer to keep the flyers in the lead at 8:20
• Derkack kept the Flyers going with the back-to-back jumper.
• Montgomery passed to L'Etang who sank a three, with 7:19 left.
• Montgomery drained another three pointer off an opponent turnover with Bennett's help  at 6:39.
• L'Etang scored a layup, assisted by Simon; bringing the Flyers 35 and Saint Louis 13. (5:22)
• Bennett followed suit and knocked down a wide open three at 4:54.
• Bennett was pulled to the line to shoot two for the Flyers, steadying the lead.
• L'Etang tipped the ball in with an assist by Derkack at 1:20.
• At the line for the Flyers, L'Etang goes two for two in the final minute of the half.

 2nd Half – Dayton 77, Saint Louis 62

• Bennett started off the second half with a jumper off an opponent turnover, entering double-digit scoring.
• With an assist from Montgomery, Jones drove the ball down an open lane and flushed a dunk to maintain the Flyers' lead at 17:33
• Simon kept the pace with a made layup, bringing the score to Dayton 51, Saint Louis 37.
• Bennett hit a deep three from the top of the key to keep the Flyers in the lead, 15:18
• Derkack made two for two and responded by making a layup to set the tone for the Flyers at 12:40.
• Jacob Conner gets the Flyers their first steal of the second half 
• L'Etang doubled down and was four for four leading the Flyers 61, Saint Louis 45. 
• Bennett made a layup at 8:31, responding well to Saint Louis' pressure.
• Jones blew through the Billikens' defense and sank a second-chance reverse-layup at 5:19.
• L'Etang with two good shots from the line kept the Flyers' momentum going at 4:40.
• L'Etang hit another two when at the line, bringing the score to Dayton 71, Saint Louis 58.
• Derkack made fans go crazy with a layup off L'Etang's behind-the-back pass at 1:46.
• Derkack closes out the game with a dunk off a fast break, securing the final score.

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 26 - points for L'Etang, a new career-high and his second consecutive 20-point output
• 28 - first half points for Saint Louis, their lowest in an opening half this season
• 17 - points for Bennett, his 23rd double-digit scoring output of the campaign
• 14 - points for Derkack in 24 minutes of action
• 9 - points for Jones, who added four rebounds, three assists, and tied a season-high with two blocked shots
• 10 - rebounds for L'Etang, securing his second consecutive double-double and seventh of his career
• 5 - assists for junior De'Shayne Montgomery

UP NEXT
The Flyers head to the Charles E. Smith Center on Friday, Feb. 27th to take on the George Washington Revolutionaries at 7 p.m.