Dayton suffers first loss of Grant era

Dayton falls to Hofstra in first round of Charleston Classic

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Jalen Crutcher missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds that would have tied the game, and the Dayton Flyers lost 72-69 to Hofstra on Thursday in the first round of the Charleston Classic.

Dayton trailed almost the entire game but took the lead in the final minutes on a free throw by Darrell Davis. Hofstra regained control by making three free throws on its next two possessions, and it didn’t lose the lead again.

Davis led Dayton with 20 points. Kostas Antetokounmpo scored 10. Dayton played the final minutes with a lineup of Davis, Antetokounmpo, Trey Landers, Xeyrius Williams and Crutcher.

Hofstra made 20 of 26 free throws. Dayton made 9 of 14. That was the biggest difference in the game.

This was the first loss for new coach Anthony Grant. The Flyers are 1-1. They will play Ohio in the consolation round at 7 p.m. Friday.

FIRST-HALF RECAP

The Dayton Flyers trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half but remained within striking distance at halftime Thursday in the first round of the Charleston Classic.

Hofstra took a 36-31 lead into halftime at TD Bank Arena. Here’s a quick recap of the first half:

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Star of the half: Darrell Davis leads the Flyers with 11 points. He made 2 of 3 3-pointers. The rest of the team made 1 of 8.

Important stat: Hofstra made 5 of 9 3-pointers. Justin Wright-Foreman leads the Pride with 11 points.

Big run: Dayton trailed 26-11 and then went on a 14-2 run.

Interesting note: Kostas Antetokounmpo saw his most significant playing time in his short career, scoring four points and grabbing six rebounds in 11 minutes.

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