NCAA News Wire
Dayton 82, Stanford 72
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dayton advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years with an 82-72 victory over Stanford on Thursday night in the NCAA South Regional semifinals at FedExForum.
The 11th-seeded Flyers (26-10) advance to play the winner of Thursday’s late game between top-seeded Florida and fourth-seeded UCLA for passage to the Final Four.
Guard Jordan Sibert led Dayton with 18 points, as he shot 4-for-9 from 3-point range. Forward Kendall Pollard scored 12 points off the bench for the Flyers, forward Devin Oliver had 12 points and seven rebounds, and center Matt Kavanaugh finished with 10 points.
Tenth-seeded Stanford (23-13) got 21 points from guard Chasson Randle, and 17 points and nine rebounds from forward Dwight Powell. Center Stefan Nastic had 15 points for the Cardinal but fouled out with 5:04 left in the game. It was his ninth disqualification of the season. Stanford forward Josh Huestis added 13 points and eight rebounds.
Stanford pulled within 47-43 with 15:53 to go on a Powell layup as the Cardinal made a 7-0 run to cut into the Flyers’ lead. However, that was close as Stanford could get, and Dayton’s advantage never dropped below 10 points in the last five minutes of the game.
Dayton shot 48.3 percent (28-for-58), and Stanford shot 37.9 percent (22-for-58). The Cardinal finished with 10 assists and 12 turnovers.
Dayton led 42-32 at halftime, compiling 13 assists and four steals while committing just two turnovers through the first 20 minutes.
An 8-0 run allowed the Flyers to stretch the lead to 34-23. Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins picked up a technical at the end of the run, but it only cost the Cardinal a point as Flyers forward Dyshawn Pierre split two free throws and Dayton didn’t score on the ensuing possession.
The Flyers led by as many as 13 points in the half, as a 3-pointer from guard Jordan Sibert made the score 42-29. Sibert and Pollard each had eight first-half points for Dayton.
Stanford had more turnovers (five) than assists (four) in the first half and shot just 33.3 percent. Nastic picked up his third foul in the first half. Randle and Huestis each scored eight first-half points, and Huestis had three blocks before the break.
The Flyers had a 17-16 edge in rebounds at halftime, and Dayton scored the only nine fast-break points of the half.
NOTES: The Cardinal played 13 teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament field and went 9-9. Six of Stanford’s 12 non-conference foes made the NCAA bracket. … In Stanford’s 60-57 upset of second-seeded Kansas, the Jayhawks were held more than 20 points below their season average (79.6). … Reaching the Sweet 16 marks Dayton’s deepest NCAA run since 1984, when the Flyers lost to Georgetown in the regional finals. … Dayton improved to 13-2 in its past 15 games.
