In an exciting match at UD Arena, Zed Key demonstrated his skills early in the second half as he battled for position against Nate Tshimanga, the younger brother of former Dayton Flyers center Jordy Tshimanga. Key’s confidence was evident as he gestured to the crowd, declaring, “He can’t guard me!”
Tshimanga quickly found himself in foul trouble, accumulating five fouls in just seven minutes, while his brother Emmanuel also faced difficulties with three fouls in 15 minutes. This was indicative of Dayton’s dominance, as they secured a convincing 74-53 victory.
The Flyers excelled in the second half, outscoring the Aggies 32-8 during a dominant 12-minute span, which featured a relentless 14-0 run that increased Dayton’s lead to an impressive 29 points.
Dayton’s head coach, Anthony Grant, commended his team’s overall execution, stating, “When you look at the numbers, I thought our guys did a really good job of controlling the aspects where New Mexico State had success in their first three games. In the second half, a combination of our defensive efforts and offensive execution really opened the game up. It may have been one of our more complete performances overall.”
With this win, several milestones were achieved:
Dayton improved to a perfect 5-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 season, during which they started with five straight victories before losing to Kansas in the Maui Invitational final.
The Flyers have now won 21 consecutive home games, tying for the third-longest streak in the program’s history. Previous notable streaks included 30 home wins from March 2008 to January 2010 and 27 from February 2014 to December 2016.
This victory also marks Dayton’s third consecutive win over New Mexico State, their first meeting since the 1960s.
As a result, Dayton has secured its spot as one of at least five undefeated teams heading into the Maui Invitational next week, joining No. 2 Connecticut, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State, and Colorado.
This performance sets the stage for what promises to be a highly challenging tournament in November.
Nate Santos, a pivotal player in the match, shared his optimism, saying, “Coach mentioned in the locker room that it was a strong team effort. It’s great to head into next week with this momentum we’ve built.”
The first half was closely fought, with Dayton initially leading 27-18 before New Mexico State surged ahead 28-27 before halftime. However, Key’s free throws right before the break allowed Dayton to regain the lead.
In the second half, Dayton began to take control just five minutes in. Key executed a remarkable alley-oop dunk from Posh Alexander, which was followed by a series of three-pointers from Santos. Before long, the Flyers found themselves up 51-35.
Santos had a standout performance, scoring a season-high 23 points and hitting 6 of 10 from three-point range, including five 3-pointers in the second half.
Grant praised Santos, stating, “Nate has played exceptionally well all year. Tonight, he found his rhythm. He worked hard and got some great opportunities. It was a strong performance on both ends of the court.”
Other key contributions included Amaël L’Etang with 11 points and Zed Key with 10 points. The Flyers displayed impressive teamwork with 20 assists on 27 field goals made, while keeping their turnovers to just seven.
Dayton’s full-court pressure defense became a defining aspect of their strategy in the second half, resulting in 14 points off turnovers and 18 fast-break points.
Grant recognized the effectiveness of New Mexico State’s guards but believed his team wore them down: “Their guards excel in open-floor situations. However, I felt our press was crucial in increasing our lead.”
Despite struggling at the free-throw line with only 36.4% in the first half, Dayton improved to 55.6% for the game, showcasing their ability to bounce back.
Looking ahead, the Flyers are set to take on North Carolina in the Maui Invitational on Monday at 11:30 p.m. on ESPN2, providing another opportunity to demonstrate their skills against top-tier competition.
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