GAME NOTES: The 14th-ranked Dayton Flyers have been one of the most surprising teams in all of college basketball this season, and they will attempt to defend their home court this evening against the Massachusetts Minutemen in Atlantic 10 Conference action. UMass has lost its last two games, but the team is still an impressive 11-4 overall. The Minutemen have been competitive in both defeats, falling to a strong Vanderbilt squad from the SEC before losing to Saint Joseph's in the A-10 opener last Wednesday. Dayton owns its highest national ranking in 40 years and is riding a sensational 13-game winning streak. The Flyers, who are 14-1 overall, including 10-0 at home and 2-0 in A-10 play, have won two of their last three games in overtime, including a 68-57 decision over Saint Louis on Saturday. They have knocked off the likes of Miami, Louisville and Pitt this season, so the non-conference resume' is outstanding. A win tonight would mark the best start in program history. Dayton holds a 7-6 edge in the all-time series with UMass, but the Minutemen recorded a 77-69 victory in the most recent meeting last season.

Taking a close look at the 98-92 loss to Saint Joseph's, UMass simply did not play well enough at the defensive end, permitting the Hawks to connect on 58.5 percent of their field goal attempts. Ricky Harris scored 25 points in the setback for the Minutemen, and Gary Forbes was close behind with 22 points. As for Etienne Brower, he contributed 14 points. UMass was outrebounded by a 45-30 margin, another contributing factor in the loss. Forbes and Harris lead a potent offensive attack for the Minutemen, who are scoring 85.6 ppg while surrendering 78.8 ppg. In addition to his team-high 20.9 ppg, Forbes is pulling down 7.3 rpg to pace his teammates in that department as well. Harris is netting 19.7 ppg, while Chris Lowe (12.5 ppg) and Brower (11.1 ppg) provide balance.

The best player in the Atlantic 10 plays for Dayton, as Brian Roberts is a versatile star who is quickly gaining some national attention. Roberts is averaging 20.1 ppg this season while shooting 50 percent from the floor, impressive considering the amount of attention he routinely draws from opponents. Far from just a scorer, Roberts is dishing out 4.5 apg. Freshman Chris Wright was the only other double-digit scorer in the lineup for Dayton, but he had ankle surgery on Monday and will be out of action indefinitely. The Flyers are posting 72.7 ppg while limiting opponents to 62.8 ppg. Roberts poured in 30 points for the Flyers in the overtime win over Saint Louis on Saturday. Charles Little pitched in 17 points off the bench for Dayton, which benefited from a 39-24 rebounding advantage in the clash.

Dayton faces a stiff test this evening, but the home crowd will be the difference. Expect the Flyers to feed off the energy of the fans and score a narrow victory.