A pair of well-traveling fan bases will hope to see their respective teams earn an early-season title on Friday night when No. 9 BYU and Dayton meet in the ESPN Events Invitational championship game in Kissimmee, Fla.
BYU (5-1) rallied past Miami 72-62 in the semifinals on Thursday after trailing by four at halftime. Despite facing the semi-hometown Hurricanes, the Cougars had an overwhelming edge of fans in the stands, with the blue and white drowning out State Farm Field House.
“It’s amazing. It’s something really unique about BYU,” coach Kevin Young said of the fan support. “Playing all over the place, our fans travel, and to see that much blue, especially on a holiday, it was really cool. I know I never take it for granted.”
Projected lottery draft pick AJ Dybantsa had 16 points and eight rebounds in the win. BYU fans waited at the tunnel for nearly an hour after the game, hoping to receive an autograph from the future NBA player. For the 18-year-old, it’s not hard to separate the attention he’s receiving from his individual goals, and his efforts will continue on Friday.
“Obviously my goal for this year is just to win games,” Dybantsa said. “For me, it’s easy to block out the noise. You see it on social media, but we constantly work and we’re constantly in the gym. It’s easy for me when you’re always with the team.”
Dybantsa leads the Cougars with an average of 19.2 points per game, while Richie Saunders adds 18.7.
Dayton (6-1), meanwhile, has won four consecutive games, including an 84-79 overtime thriller over Georgetown in the second semifinal on Thanksgiving night. The Flyers squandered a 14-point lead with just over five minutes left before an 8-0 spurt in overtime helped coach Anthony Grant’s team improve to 2-0 against the Big East in the last eight days.
Dayton won 77-71 in overtime at Marquette on Nov. 19.
“I’m just proud that we were able to find a way to win,” Grant said. “We had some tired bodies out there. … We’re excited because we have a chance to play for a championship tomorrow.”
A win on Friday night would mark the Flyers’ first non-conference tournament championship since winning the ESPN Events Invitational in 2021. Amael L’Etang paced Dayton with 18 points on Thursday, while Javon Bennett and De’Shayne Montgomery each scored 13.
“We just want to win,” Montgomery said. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to win. Whether it’s in overtime, double overtime, triple overtime. We’re going to battle it out until we’re on top.”
Bennett averages 16.1 points per game for the Flyers, followed by Montgomery’s 14.9 and L’Etang’s 13.4.
With a chance for a massive resume-boosting win, Dayton will face BYU for the first time since 2022, when the Cougars overcame a 23-point deficit for a 79-75 overtime win in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
–Field Level Media
