The nonconference showdown in Chicago between Colorado and Dayton really delivered back in December; let’s see how it went down.
As we watched the national pandemic slowly deteriorate the postseason and cancel the NCAA Tournament, the entire nation was devastated as college basketball came to a halt. We still have plenty of great regular season moments to remember, but a few special teams never got their shot at postseason glory. On our next of the top 40 games of the 2019-20 season, we look at an early-season thriller involving one of those very special teams.
15. Colorado 78, #13 Dayton 76
December 21, 2019, United Center in Chicago, IL
There wasn’t postseason play, but there was plenty of intrigue this past season during the early season non-conference tournaments. Even after those November events had all concluded, there were still a number of exciting games on the calendar before Christmas. Four teams headed to Chicago for a pair of great matchups, though one of those games delivered in a major way.
Colorado brought most of their talent back from a 23-win season and had seen this year get off to a solid start. They started the year 7-0, winning the MGM Resorts Main Event, before losing battles against #2 Kansas and a tough Northern Iowa team. Though they had just fallen out of the top 25, they went to Chicago at 9-2, looking for a big win on the eve of conference play.
Dayton had similarly started their season with a bang, with a tough loss to Kansas also on the schedule. At 9-1, they had played much better than expected, owning wins over Georgia, Virginia Tech, and Saint Mary’s to this point while climbing up the polls. Obi Toppin and Jalen Crutcher had been playing quite well in recent weeks and the Flyers were looking well set up for A-10 play.
Dayton’s offense really came to play in Chicago, though the Buffaloes were no slouches either. The Flyers scored on their first five possessions, making their first five shots including a pair of 3-pointers. McKinley Wright’s five points kept Colorado in the game early, but Dayton was already taking control. Just a few minutes later, Ibi Watson hit a 3-pointer that gave the Flyers a 19-5 lead, with Watson already at seven points just six minutes into the game.
Colorado cut into that lead, scoring the game’s next eight points and pulling back into the game. A few minutes later, they were as close as a single point after a layup and free throw from Daylen Kountz. These Buffaloes were resilient in fighting back so quickly, and the teams battled back and forth for the last few minutes of the second half. Toppin had a pair of big dunks while Rodney Chatman’s jumper in the final seconds secured the 4-point halftime lead for the Flyers.
The second half was a much closer affair at the start. The Buffaloes played much better and actually grabbed their first lead just about five minutes in on a pair of free throws from Evan Battey. A few minutes later, a 3-pointer from Lucas Siewert extended the lead to seven, with the Flyers suddenly needing their offense to wake up again.
Jalen Crutcher hit a few shots to keep the Flyers in this game, but the Colorado lead was as high as 8 a few minutes later. A big 3-pointer from D’Shawn Schwartz created that gap, though Crutcher sliced into it with a long-range shot of his own. The Flyers’ defense kept the Buffaloes at bay and were back within a single possession in the final minutes of the game.
Toppin’s dunk made it a 1-point game, while Colorado missed a few key free throws in the final minutes. Down just three, Dayton had a chance late and got the game tied again on a 3-pointer from Toppin. Colorado failed to score on their final possession, and this exciting game spiraled into overtime.
The teams traded baskets early before the Flyers built a 3-point lead. The overtime period was very back and forth with neither team able to secure a two-possession lead. Schwartz hit another big shot to give Colorado the lead with 27 seconds left, but Crutcher had his own answer, giving the Flyers the lead with just ten seconds left. It was Schwartz who had the last laugh, as his 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Colorado a phenomenal last-second victory.
https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/1208571130732105728
The combined offensive fireworks of McKnight (29 points, 10 rebounds) and Schwartz (22 points) were too much for the Flyers in the end. Schwartz’s heroics solidified what was an outstanding win for the Buffaloes in their best effort of the season. Crutcher had 19 points while Toppin scored 17 for Dayton, but despite their success on offense, they couldn’t pull out the win. Dayton shot 50% in the loss, though lost 14 turnovers and allowed 17 offensive rebounds in giving Colorado plenty of chances.
Colorado would follow that big win up with a great victory against #4 Oregon a few weeks later. However, the season fell apart in the end for the Buffaloes, who lost their final five games, including their opening-round matchup in the Pac-12 Tournament. They were certainly playing their best basketball back around Christmas, though that wasn’t the case for their opponent.
Dayton didn’t lose another game, completing a clean sweep through A-10 play and all but securing what would have been a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Toppin became one of the nation’s best players, if not the very best, while Crutcher and the rest of this offensive talent won game after game. At 29-2, this Flyers team completed one of their best seasons, though the cancellation of the postseason was devastating.
It took true heroics from Schwartz to knock off a Dayton team that became a behemoth as the college basketball season progressed. That last-second shot remains one of the highlight moments of the season, especially for the Buffaloes who saw their season come undone in the end.