By PAUL GOTHAM
PITTSBURGH, PA. — Jack Gibbs hit back-to-back three-pointers and set an arena record as the Davidson Wildcats rallied late to defeat the top-seeded Dayton Flyers 73-67 in the Atlantic 10 quarter-finals at PPG Paints Arena, Friday.
After leading by as many as 16 points, Gibbs nailed a step-back three from left corner to give Davidson a lead it did not surrender at 68-65.
The senior guard followed with a pull-up three to ice the game at 71-67.
“I just kind of wanted the ball in my hand at the end of the game, try to make a play,” Gibbs said. “Tried to get some separation on the shot and luckily it went in.”
Gibbs finished with 34 points on 12 of 22 shooting one day after teammate Peyton Aldridge netted 33 to set a PPG Arena standard.
“I couldn’t let him have that for too long,” Gibbs said laughing. “We’re shooting the ball pretty well right now, and we’re excited about the outcomes of our last two games and we’re looking forward to tomorrow’s game.”
Trailing by 12 at half, Dayton came out of the locker room and outscored Davidson 10-2. Kendall Pollard and Xeyrius Williams scored in the lane. Kyle Davis finished in the open floor, and Charles Cooke hit a three to make it a 39-35 game.
Dayton took its first lead since 2-0 when Cooke used a spin move in the lane into a reverse layup before drilling a catch-and-shoot trey from the left corner for a 65-62 UD edge with 2:08 remaining.
It looked like Davidson would revisit previous failures including an overtime loss at home to Dayton in late February. A game that Davidson led 70-57 with 7:43 remaining in regulation.
“Down the stretch of the season, we had a lot of close games, lost a couple in overtime,” Gibbs said. “I think just learning how to finish a game off, I know in the past, we let teams speed us up and forced us into turnovers and bad shots and that gives them run-outs on the other side of the court, so I think just kind of stay poised under pressure.
“I know Dayton is a good team. We knew they were going it make a run towards the end and just kind of keep your cool and make the plays that we need to make down the stretch. I think we definitely learned from past games. I guess it paid dividends here.”
The lead was short-lived.
Jon Axel Gudmundsson responded for Davidson with a 3-ball before Gibbs took over from there.
“He made two really incredible shots, the step back in the left side, another step back on the right side and one foul,” Dayton coach Archie Miller said. “You know, we’ve been in some situations where guys have been dominant. We’ve done a better job of making them pass and especially the last one.
“We had a broken coverage, we should have trapped him and made him pass, and then he kind of strung Kyle out to the corner in the left side to give him the lead. That’s another one where I think we had an opportunity to corral him on the sideline and make him pass.”
Gibbs netted four of his 17 first-half points during an early 11-2 Davidson run, and the Wildcats took a 12-point lead into the locker room.
Gibbs got Davidson on the board with a curl, catch and drive in the lane for two. The senior guard followed with an upfake and drive on the next possession to give Davidson a lead it did not surrender for the remainder of the stanza.
Gibbs connected on a pull-up 3-pointer over a ball screen to give Davidson a 35-19 lead late in the half. With the trey, he eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for his career.
Aldridge finished with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and a team-high nine rebounds.
Cooke led four Flyers in double figures hitting five of 13 shots from the floor for 14 points. Williams added 13 points while Pollard and Scoochie Smith scored 12 apiece.
Dayton shot 9 of 28 in the first half.
Davidson moves on to play the winner of the St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island matchup.
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