Dayton 55, Syracuse 53: Dyshawn Pierre scored 14 points and Jordan Sibert hit a critical late 3-pointer as the Flyers secured their second upset in three days with a hard-fought NCAA tournament victory over the Orange in second-round action in Buffalo, N.Y.
Sibert tallied 10 points for No. 11 seed Dayton (25-10), which advances to meet Kansas or Stanford in Thursday's South regional semifinals in Memphis, Tenn. Devin Oliver added seven points, 10 rebounds and four assists as the Flyers followed up Thursday’s 60-59 win over sixth-seeded Ohio State with another thrilling victory to make the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1984.
Tyler Ennis scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half for third-seeded Syracuse (28-6), which went 3-6 over its final nine games after starting the season with a school-record 25 straight victories. C.J. Fair finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks as the Orange went 0-of-10 from beyond the arc – ending Syracuse’s 665-game streak of making at least one 3-pointer.
Syracuse and Dayton combined to shoot 32.6 percent and score 38 points during a sluggish first half that featured one 3-pointer and poor free throw shooting. The Flyers led 35-30 with 11 1/2 minutes to go following a 3-pointer by Sibert, but a pair of jumpers from Fair sparked a 10-2 surge that gave the Orange only their second lead of the contest.
Following a 10-2 run by Dayton, Ennis rallied Syracuse within 47-46 with a pair of layups, but a steal by Oliver near midcourt led to a breakaway layup by Scoochie Smith and Sibert drilled a 25-foot 3-pointer with 47.7 seconds left as the shot clock was winding down. Ennis converted a three-point play on the other end and scored the Orange’s final 11 points, but his potential go-ahead 3-point attempt hit off the back iron as time expired.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Syracuse’s first-half offensive output (18 points) was its second-worst point total in the opening stanza in its NCAA tournament history. … Dayton has won 12 of its last 14 games, with both losses coming against Saint Joseph’s. … The Orange failed to make the Sweet 16 for the second time in their last four NCAA tournament appearances.
Dayton | Syracuse | |
Dyshawn Pierre 14 | Scoring | Tyler Ennis 19 |
Devin Oliver 4 | Assists | Tyler Ennis 3 |
Devin Oliver 10 | Rebounds | C.J. Fair 10 |
Devin Oliver 5 | Free Throws Made | C.J. Fair 6 |
Devin Oliver 3 | Steals | Trevor Cooney 2 |
Matt Kavanaugh 1 | Blocks | Rakeem Christmas 3 |