BOCA RATON, Fla. — Javon Bennett made eight 3-pointers in a 30-point performance to lead Dayton over Florida Atlantic University 86-79 on Wednesday night in the National Invitation Tournament.
Dayton (23-10) will visit the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in a second-round matchup at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at McKenzie Arena. ESPN2 will televise the game between the Flyers and coach Dan Earl’s Mocs (25-9), who won a first-round game against No. 4 seed Middle Tennessee State 109-103 in triple overtime Tuesday night in Murfreesboro.
The UTC women’s team will also play Saturday at McKenzie. Coach Deandra Schirmer’s Mocs (16-14) will host Alabama A&M (21-10) at 5 p.m. in the first round of the Women’s NIT.
The Flyers are a No. 1 seed, but they played their first-round game at FAU (18-16) because their home court was being used Tuesday and Wednesday for First Four games in the NCAA Division I men’s tournament. The same venue is hosting Ohio boys’ basketball state championship games Friday and Saturday, shifting the Dayton-UTC meeting to McKenzie.
Bennett was 10-for-16 from the field (including 8-for-12 from 3-point range) and 2-of-3 on free throws for the Flyers, who led 44-38 at halftime, and he scored 24 points after the break. Nate Santos was 5-for-9 (2-for-5 from 3-point range) and 3-of-4 from the foul line to add 15 points, while Enoch Cheeks added 12 points, all but three in the first half.