Javonte Perkins scored a career- and game-high 25 points, and Hasahn French and Jordan Goodwin posted double-doubles, but a 3-pointer with a tenth of a second left in overtime gave 13th-ranked Dayton a 78-76 Atlantic 10 Conference win over Saint Louis Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 10,007 at Chaifetz Arena.
Perkins tallied 18 of his 25 points in the second half. French registered his seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, while Goodwin picked up his eighth with 15 points and 13 boards (game-high seven offensive).
Yuri Collins contributed nine points and game highs of four assists and three steals for the Billikens (14-4, 3-2 A-10), who handed Dayton (16-2, 5-0) its largest rebounding deficit of the season (45-33).
Dayton got 21 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, from Jalen Crutcher, and 20 points from Obi Toppin, who completed a double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds. Ibi Watson and Trey Landers scored 17 and 14 points, respectively.
Saint Louis led 33-25 at halftime. After Dayton whittled the margin to five, Perkins scored five points in a 7-0 spurt that put the Billikens in front 48-36.
SLU stretched the lead to 13 twice before Dayton embarked on a 24-6 run that gave the Flyers a 66-61 advantage at the 1:59 mark. But the Billikens outscored the Flyers 8-3 the rest of the way, sending the game into overtime on Goodwin’s driving layup at the buzzer.
There were five lead changes and four ties in the extra session. Collins sank two free throws with 6.1 seconds remaining for a 76-75 Saint Louis lead, but Crutcher – who also went 4-of-4 from the foul line in the last 49 seconds – hit the game-winner from the top of the key.
After Dayton scored the first four points of the game, Saint Louis went on a 13-2 outburst that included seven points from Goodwin.
The Flyers pulled to within a point, 21-20, but the Bills closed the half with a 12-5 run that included points from four players, including French’s six.
Up next for the Billikens is a trip to Davidson Wednesday, Jan. 22. Tip time is 6 p.m. (CST), and the game will be televised on FOX Sports Midwest.
