IOWA CITY, IA – A 23-point, six assist effort by Kevin Dillard wasn’t enough as the Dayton Flyers lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes 84-75 in the NIT First Round.
The second-seeded Flyers had earned a home game but couldn’t play at UD Arena because of the NCAA First Four. And they were subjected to the loudest crowd they’ve encountered in several seasons.
Iowa (18-16) hadn’t played in the postseason since 2006 and fans were jacked up to be hosting the Flyers (20-13) in the NIT.
The Hawkeyes averaged 11,841 fans during the regular season.
With the game tied at 49-49 with 16:41 left, Iowa went on a 14-3 surge. The Hawkeyes shot 57 percent from the field and had 48 points in the paint.
UD shot 39 percent from the field, but 9-of-20 from beyond the arc.
Paul Williams added 12 points and Chris Johnson finished with eight points and seven rebounds. Devin Oliver tallied seven points, while big men Matt Kavanaugh and Alex Gavrilovic scored six apiece.
For the seniors – Williams, Johnson, Luke Fabrizius and Josh Parker, they close their Dayton careers with 94 victories, second-most in the program’s history.
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