First MW team falls as Dayton eliminates Boise State
Jordan Sibert overcame early foul trouble to score 13 points – including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining – as the host Flyers downed the Broncos in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Kendall Pollard had a team-high 17 points and six rebounds for No. 11 seed Dayton (26-8), which dug out of a late nine-point hole to win its 22nd consecutive home game. Scoochie Smith added 11 points and five assists as the Flyers advanced to play sixth-seeded Providence on Friday in Columbus, Ohio.
Derrick Marks led all scorers with 23 points for fellow No. 11 seed Boise State (25-9), which had won six of its last seven true road contests. Montigo Alford chipped in with 11 points while Mountain West Newcomer of the Year James Webb III finished with eight points and 13 rebounds for the Broncos.
Boise State embarked on a 25-7 surge to overcome an early six-point deficit once Sibert left the game with his third foul midway through the first half, even eliciting boos from the home crowd after extending its lead to 29-17. Dayton’s leading scorer returned at the start of the second half and the offense followed suit as the Flyers connected on seven of their first eight shots, pulling in front 37-34 following consecutive 3-pointers from Smith.
Marks scored six points to fuel a 13-1 run in response to the Flyers’ half-opening 17-5 burst and the Broncos still held a 50-41 edge with 6½ minutes left before Sibert tied the game at 53 on a pair of free throws with 1:02 remaining. Alford countered with two foul shots, but Sibert drained a wide-open triple on the Flyers’ next possession and Dayton forced a pair of missed shots in the final 16 seconds to survive.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Dayton, which was one of the NCAA’s 14 undefeated teams at home this season, became the first school since 1987 (when Arizona and Syracuse both did so) to play an NCAA Tournament game on its home court. … Boise State, which ended San Diego State’s 29-game home winning streak on Feb. 28, fell to 0-7 in the Big Dance. … The Flyers improved to 23-4 when limiting opponents to fewer than 70 points.
