No. 22 Dayton plays way into rankings, turns focus to UNLV

Dayton has knocked off some highly ranked opponents this season. Now, the Flyers will be wearing the tag of a nationally ranked team this week.

It's another stretch with notable matchups for No. 22 Dayton, which takes on visiting UNLV on Tuesday night.

"Keep the main thing the main thing and not make too much out of one game," Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. "We haven't arrived yet. We're not a finished product. Tuesday is a different challenge. We've got to be ready for that challenge."

Dayton knocked off then-No. 6 Marquette 71-63 on Saturday. Coupled with last month's conquering of then-No. 2 UConn, the Flyers have knocked off two teams with top-six national rankings for the first time since 1967.

"We have things that we believe in, and I'm just proud of the guys sticking to that," Grant said.

In the UNLV game, Dayton (9-2) will be aiming for its 25th consecutive homecourt victory.

"When we play big games, they're like another teammate out there helping us out," guard Javon Bennett said of the fans. "We want to take advantage of those opportunities."

There could be a different dynamic in the crowd Tuesday night because many Dayton students stayed around for the Marquette game before departing at the end of the semester. The buzz might not be the same for UNLV's visit.

UNLV (5-4) halted a three-game losing streak by defeating Pacific 72-65 on Saturday night. The Rebels have yet to claim a notable victory, falling to teams that have been ranked such as Memphis, Mississippi State and Creighton.

"We are playing teams that are going to compete for conference championships and play in the NCAA Tournament," UNLV coach Kevin Kruger said. "We have to stick our chest out and know that we are going to put the work in to get that turned."

UNLV's Julian Rishwain, a sixth-year player with his fourth school, is coming off a season-high 21 points with five 3-pointers against Pacific. Dedan Thomas Jr., who's scoring a team-leading 16.7 points per game, also came up with clutch baskets.

"DJ changed gears and ended up being the difference," Kruger said. "He made some big-time shots and big-time plays."

UNLV's only true road game so far resulted in an 83-65 setback at Creighton on Dec. 7.

The Flyers, who are 8-0 at home this season, were without a second-half turnover against a Marquette team that had been collecting more than 15 takeaways per game. Dayton had seven first-half turnovers.

"It shows how good our guard play is," Bennett said.

Grant said he'll look for continued attention to taking care of the ball.

When the Flyers get after it on defense, they see the benefit of scoring on fastbreaks or before the opponents are set defensively.

"When we turn them over, I feel like we're elite in transition," Bennett said.

Against Marquette, Nate Santos compiled his first double-double of the season (12 points, 13 rebounds). Four players are averaging double-figure point totals.

"That's the strength of our team that we have multiple playmakers," Grant said. "Offensively, we're a team that can play an attacking style. We have a lot of weapons from an offensive standpoint."

The Flyers have a game against No. 19 Cincinnati on Friday night.

--Field Level Media