Last-Second Win! Dayton, Fueled by Zed Key, Beats Duquesne

The Dayton Flyers survived a nail-biting game against Duquesne, ultimately securing a 77-76 victory. Duquesne held a 12-point lead in the first half (35-23), but Dayton narrowed the gap to four points by halftime (44-40).

In the second half, a steal by Javon Bennett led to a basket by Isaac Jack, giving Dayton their first lead of the game (47-46) with 17:08 remaining. The game remained close, with Duquesne leading 65-59 with 6:59 on the clock. Zed Key and Enoch Cheeks then combined for six consecutive points, tying the score at 65-65 with 5:41 left. Duquesne regained the lead (69-66) with 3:42 remaining.

Key’s dunk and a layup by Smith put Dayton ahead 70-69. Bennett’s jumper and two free throws extended the lead to 74-69 with 52 seconds left. Duquesne’s Maximus Edwards made two free throws to cut the lead to 74-71 with 28 seconds remaining. A turnover by Smith gave the Dukes possession, and with eight seconds left, Cam Crawford’s layup tied the game at 76-76. Smith was fouled and made one of two free throws to give Dayton a 77-76 lead. Duquesne’s final three-point attempt at the buzzer missed, securing the win for Dayton.

Cheeks led Dayton with 19 points, while Zed Key contributed 18 points off the bench. Smith added 12 points. The Flyers improve to 18-8 overall and 8-5 in the Atlantic 10 conference. They will have a six-day break before their next game at Loyola Chicago on Friday, February 21st. Zed Key’s performance, particularly his late-game contributions and free throws, proved crucial in Dayton’s narrow victory.

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