DAYTON, Ohio — No. 17 Saint Mary’s escaped UD Arena Saturday afternoon, as the Gaels (3-0) toughed out the closing minutes of the game versus last year’s NCAA tournament participants Dayton (2-1), in a nail biting 61-57 road win.
Leading 58-44 with 3:22 left in the game, the Flyers used a 13-1 run to trim the lead 59-57 with 23 seconds left. Dayton forced nine turnovers in the second half, and six in the last 3:07 to help spark the furious run. The Gaels eventually went cold and could not convert a field goal in the last 5:54 of the match.