Toppin hurts ankle while No. 15 Dayton beats UMass 88-60

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Obi Toppin scored 16 points before leaving with an ankle injury early in the second half Saturday as 15th-ranked Dayton got a scare while pulling away to an 88-60 victory over UMass.

Dayton (14-2, 3-0 Atlantic 10) took control right away, building a 20-point lead, and remained unbeaten at home. The Flyers used their front-line advantage and frequently found Toppin — Dayton’s top front-line scorer — open for layups and dunks to get the big early lead.

Then came a moment that left the crowd at University of Dayton Arena silent.

Toppin got tangled with Samba Diallo at midcourt and went down hard at 15:13 of the second half, grabbing his left ankle. Both players lay on the court for several minutes before walking off, Toppin with a slight limp as he headed for the locker room.

Diallo returned a few minutes later. Late in the game, Toppin returned to the bench with a protective boot on his left foot.

UMass (7-9, 1-2) never recovered from the Flyers’ opening surge. Tre Mitchell led the Minutemen with 16 points. UMass had 21 turnovers, including six during a 4:50 spurt as Dayton took control early in the game.

Dayton dominated inside during its quick start. The Flyers’ first nine points came off layups or free throws. Jalen Crutcher opened the game with a steal and layup, and Ryan Mikesell got a rebound and drove the length of the court for a dunk as Dayton made it 9-0.

Mikesell finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Reserve guard Ibi Watson hit a 3 and had a steal and layup that put Dayton in control at 27-7. The Flyers led by as many as 27 in the opening half.

BIG PICTURE

UMass: The Minutemen opened the season 5-0 for the first time in six seasons. They’ve since dropped nine of 11 and lost seven straight games away from home with a lineup that includes two freshmen starters.

Dayton: The Flyers moved up five spots in the Top 25 this week after back-to-back wins in Philadelphia over La Salle and Saint Joseph’s. Their highest ranking this season was No. 13.

UP NEXT

UMass plays at St. Bonaventure on Wednesday.

Dayton hosts VCU on Tuesday.