Pittsburgh, Pa. – A jumper from Javon Bennett with 1:33 to play helped Dayton keep the Duquesne University men's basketball team at bay Tuesday as the Flyers earned a 71-65 victory at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes dropped their third consecutive game, falling to 9-8 (.529) overall during the 2025-26 campaign, including 1-3 (.250) in the Atlantic 10.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Forward
Alex Williams hit a three-pointer with 7:01 remaining that helped the Dukes close to within 51-50, and after empty possessions by both teams, the Flyers hit three-pointers on four consecutive trips down the court, including two from Jaiun Simon, to give Dayton (13-4 | 4-0 Atlantic 10) a 63-55 edge. Duquesne had one last charge, getting five points from junior guard
Jimmie Williams as well as a free throw from senior guard
Tarence Guinyard to trim its deficit to 63-61 with just over two minutes to play. The Flyers called timeout, and out of the break Bennett drove the lane but missed a floater. Simon grabbed the offensive carom and dished it to Bennett, who set the offense before burying the opportunity on the second chance to keep the Flyers in front.
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"It's a couple plays here or there," head coach
Dru Joyce III said. "They made some big-time shots. Simon, he's made four three's all season, and he goes back-to-back. You shake his hand. You have to pick your poison at times. If there's anything you want to get back, it's the second chance opportunities. We could've done a better job defensively transition-wise, especially early in the half. I thought we were defending really, really well, but we let some run outs where they just got downhill early and wound up getting to the free-throw line. We had some good moments where we established our presence. Whenever we got the ball to the paint we did damage."
WILL.I.AM
Alex Williams kept the Dukes within striking distance in the first half, scoring 11 of his game-high 15 points, including the only connection from beyond the arc as Duquesne finished just 1-for-14 from long range in the opening 20 minutes. He finished 5-for-8 from the field and 3-of-5 at the free-throw line in reaching double figures for fourth time in the last six games. Williams also added three rebounds and was one of three players to score in double figures.
Jimmie Williams tied his namesake for game-high accolades in points (15), stretching his consecutive double-figure scoring streak to 12, while forward
Jakub Nečas contributed 12 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocks.
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"Confidence my teammates and coach Dru instill in me,"
Alex Williams said. "Coming in and bringing energy every time I get in the game. Whether that's scoring or being a good defender, just doing whatever I can to help the team win. That's been my mindset. All week we had an emphasis on getting stops. In the second half we really got after it. We just have to go back to the film and correct our mistakes and get ready for Saturday. Get back to work."
NOTES
Dayton finished with more free throws (23) than Duquesne finished with free-throw attempts (22) … Both teams finished with 31 rebounds, with the Dukes owning an 8-6 edge on the offensive glass … Bennett scored 14 points for Dayton but was 4-of-15 from the floor … Keonte Jones paced the Flyers with 15 points and match game-high honors … Guinyard finished with nine points and six assists, with the loss the first in eight games this season when the senior guard dishes out at least six assists … Dixon contributed nine points and nine rebounds, eclipsing 500 career boards in the first half … The Dukes shot 41.2 percent (21-for-51) from the floor … A total of 12 players saw action Tuesday, including the return of forward
John Hugley IV after missing the last six games and guard
Dom Aekins playing for the second time in the last six contests … Dayton outscored Duquesne, 25-5, in fastbreak points, while the Dukes held advantages in points in the paint (24-22) and points off turnovers (17-11).
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"Two halves defensively I thought we were pretty sound," Joyce III said. "If it wasn't for some turnovers and shots that led to their transition, they were having their issues scoring. They did a good job at the free-throw line. I thought we were pretty disciplined, even on the ball. Our guys had some pretty good stand-ups defensively. The game was going to be choppy and slow. Every game is going to be a different type of battle. It was just a different challenge tonight. I think we have to play for 40 minutes. We have to have some better stretches, and our runs need to be better. That's what the game came down to."
UP NEXT
Duquesne travels to the Bronx, N.Y., Saturday, Jan. 17, for a 12:30 p.m. tip against Fordham at Rose Hill Gym in a game that will be televised live on USA Network.
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