No. 3 Dayton buries GW in season finale, looks to postseason

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Obi Toppin had 27 points, and No. 3 Dayton rolled George Washington 76-51 on Saturday to finish the regular season with its school-record 29th victory.

The Flyers (29-2, 18-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) won their 20th consecutive game to tie a record set by the 1951-52 team. They went unbeaten at home and in true road games. Their only losses were at neutral sites.

Jalen Crutcher added 21 points on 5-for-8 shooting from 3-point range for Dayton, which will begin play as the No. 1 seed in the A-10 tournament that starts Wednesday in Brooklyn, New York. Trey Landers had 10 rebounds.

Jamison Battle led George Washington (12-19, 6-12) with 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Colonials were in the game at halftime, thanks mostly to 6-of-16 3-point shooting. Despite missing its last seven shots of the half, Dayton lead 26-25 at the break.

Dayton wore the Colonials down in the second half with a 23-4 run.

A 3-pointer and layup from Crutcher put Dayton up 46-37 with 10:38 remaining, and George Washington couldn’t shoot well enough late to overcome it. After a missed 3 by the Colonials’ Maceo Jack, Crutcher hit another 3 while a pair of Toppin dunks pushed the Flyers’ lead to 53-37 with 8:39 left. They cruised from there.

BIG PICTURE

George Washington: A disappointing season ends at the hands of one of the country’s hottest teams. Like most A-10 teams, the Colonials couldn’t stay with Dayton as the second half wore on.

Dayton: The Flyers dispatched every conference opponent, though not always with ease. They must work to avoid a letdown in the conference tournament. The Flyers seek to be rewarded for their fine season with a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT

The Atlantic 10 tournament starts Wednesday in Brooklyn.

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