Postgame: This was personally the most fun I've ever had covering a game. This was, beyond a doubt, the best game of the tournament so far. Thanks so much for joining me. Tune in to other Live Events on the Home Page right now, as the NCAA Tournament continues! For now, this has been Ben Anderson, reporting for VAVEL USA.
Postgame: What a year for the Orange. Start off going undefeated until deep into conference play. They simply forgot how to play near the end of this season. Is Jim Boeheim going to retire this offseason? I certainly hope not, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Postgame: Archie Miller is stoic. You know what that means? Dayton isn't done yet. Look them come into the Sweet 16 swingin!
Postgame: WHAT a GAME! Ennis came so daggone close at the buzzer, trying to replicate what he did at Pitt earlier this year. Dayton SURVIVES!
Postgame: HEARTBREAK FOR THE SYRACUSE ORANGE, THE SOLID EFFORT BY THE FLYERS HAS SENT THEM HOME!!!
Postgame: ENNIS MISSES AT THE BUZZER, DAYTON IS HEADED TO THE SWEET 16!!!!
2nd Half, 7 Seconds Left: Doesn't matter, Ennis actually MISSED a jumper! Rare miss! Dayton to now shoot from the charity stripe.
2nd Half, 15 Seconds Left: DAYTON TURNS IT OVER OUT OF BOUNDS!!!!! SYRACUSE BALL!
2nd Half, 15 Seconds Left: 54-53 Dayton folks!
2nd Half, 15 Seconds Left: Well! Cuse goes QUICK! Ennis is doing everything, is the leader for the Orange right now. Can Dayton continue to make their costless throws?
2nd Half, 20 Seconds Left: PHEW! Dayton makes them both this time, THAT'S the way to do it. Cuse down to potentially their last possession.
2nd Half, 20 Seconds Left: Immediate foul by the Cuse. Dayton has not hit costless throws well tonight. They've got to get clutch now, they're dealing with Jim Boeheim!
2nd Half, 20 Seconds Left: Oliver misses them both! Now Syracuse will shoot costless throws.
2nd Half, 30 Seconds Left: Oliver fouled, is a 65% costless throw shooter. Probably a good choice, Cuse.
2nd Half, 30 Seconds Left: Dayton almost turned the ball over, but SOMEHOW got the time out.
2nd Half, 30 Seconds Left: Cuse down 3!
2nd Half, 1 Minute Left: SIBERT WITH THE THREE!!!!!!!! UNAFRAID! But Ennis goes down the floor and gets the 3 point play!
2nd Half, 1 Minute Left: Clock becoming an issue for the Cuse, down 3 and haven't hit a 3 all night! I don't know if I'm going to have a stroke, heart attack, or what, but I'm gonna have something!
2nd Half, 1 Minute Left: Scoochie Smith, steal and score for Dayton! MISCUES! Timeout Syracuse.
2nd Half, 2 Minutes Left: Could be the best game of the tournament so far. No doubt in my mind, at least.
2nd Half, 2 Minutes Left: WHO'S ABOUT TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK! Sibert knocks the ball out of bounds OFF THE FOOT OF A CUSE PLAYER! MENTAL, JUST THE PERFECT WAY TO USE YOUR SMARTS! OH!
2nd Half, 2 Minutes Left: Ennis again, Cuse down one!
2nd Half, 3 Minutes Left: Ennis trying to save the day for Syracuse. Driver, right up into Kavanaugh. 47-44 Dayton!
2nd Half, 4 Minutes Left: OOOOOOO!!!!!!! Dayton is 6-13 from outside, and Syracuse is scoreless from outside! Dayton up FIVE!!! STUNNING!
2nd Half, 5 Minutes Left: Kavanaugh is everywhere on defense. Scoochie just bounced in a 3 pointer, Dayton up by FOUR!
2nd Half, 6 Minutes Left: Pierre missed the costless throw, but Dayton got the rebound! Jerami Grant fouled again, and Dayton can take the lead back! What a way to clot some blood!
2nd Half, 7 Minutes Left: Dayton is improved coming out of the timeout. Slowing it down again, playing to their game. Pierre just got a magnificent shot, and is about to shoot a costless throw to tie this.
2nd Half, 7 Minutes Left: Dayton's got PROBLEMS. Oh, so horribly sloppy. Archie Miller needs to slow this thing down, cause an Orange TRAIN has got some coal in the engine! CHOO CHOO!
2nd Half, 8 Minutes Left: Soaring pace, Syracuse likes it. Back and forth. Dayton has got to start making their shots, Cuse has their Swagger back.
2nd Half, 8 Minutes Left: Soft floater, Oliver! 2nd Half, 9 Minutes Left: SYRACUSE LEADS! DAYTON GETTING SLOPPPPPPPYYYYYYY!!!
2nd Half, 10 Minutes Left: Jerami Grant with the mid-ranger! Momentum kind of swaying in Cuse's direction, as Dayton has racked up 11 turnovers.
2nd Half, 11 Minutes Left: PRICE!!! THAT'S HOW TO ANSWER! Dayton is just so CONFIDENT!
2nd Half, 11 Minutes Left: Little surge for Syracuse, Dayton needs to get some better, more open looks.
2nd Half, 11 Minutes Left: Michael Gbinije getting active for the Cuse, big dunk.
2nd Half, 11 Minutes Left: Scoring is starting to pick up after that lackadaisical 1st half. Cuse down 4, just got a steal.
2nd Half, 12 Minutes Left: Syracuse has reminded me of the song 'One Little Slip' by Barenaked Ladies. One little slip, and the Flyers will make you pay! DAYTON BY 6!
2nd Half, 13 Minutes Left: SANFORD ANSWERS! THE FLOATER! GLORIOUS!
2nd Half, 13 Minutes Left: ENNIS! FINGER ROLL! MAGNIFICENT!
2nd Half, 14 Minutes Left: Jerami Grant with 3 fouls, that puts Syracuse in a weaker position with Kavanaugh still manning the paint for the Flyers.
2nd Half, 14 Minutes Left: CJ Fair close to a double-double, but the stats don't show the whole picture. He's struggling.
2nd Half, 15 Minutes Left: Vee Sanford has got to be the Sixth Man of the Tournament.
2nd Half, 15 Minutes Left: Dayton is playing a very mental game. Reading every move by Syracuse like champs. Kavanaugh has been so critical down low, he's reading every play like a genious. Great showing from him and Pierre.
2nd Half, 16 Minutes Left: KAVANAUGH! Get's it before the shot clock violation! 26-22 Dayton.
2nd Half, 16 Minutes Left: Oh, you've got to make your costless throws, Dayton! Makes one of two on the flagrant one costless throws.
2nd Half, 16 Minutes Left: A lot of Dayton fans in Buffalo tonight. They are cheering, as they did call the flagrant one.
2nd Half, 16 Minutes Left: I believe the refs will have to call that one as a flagrant one, no doubt.
2nd Half, 16 Minutes Left: Refs go to the moniter to check if there was a flagrant one by Cooney.
2nd Half, 17 Minutes Left: SIBERT!!!! THE SYPHON!!! OH! Finally gets a 3, he had a horrible 1st half.
2nd Half, 17 Minutes Left: This just doesn't look like the Syracuse we know! Missing EVERYTHING!
2nd Half, 18 Minutes Left: Goodness sakes alive, this could be the lowest scoring game in NCAA tournament! Syracuse's has the ball, to hopefully (for them) FINALLY get on the board in this half.
2nd Quarter, 20 Minutes Left: Syracuse ball first, and they miss a wide open bucket down low. Dayton goes down the floor and turns it over. JITTERS!
Halftime: We're almost back!
Halftime: Dayton knows that Boeheim is going to have Syracuse in a new setup come the start of this half. Archie Miller knows that. Expect it to be close the rest of the way.
Halftime: Things Dayton has to be happy about: They have Kavanaugh and Pierre doing some dirty work in the paint. They needed them to be mighty active, and they're bringin it. Also, the continuation of Vee Sanford's hot streak into this game is so, so reassuring. However, Jordan Sibert is 0-3. Ennis playing good defense on the Flyers' leading scorer.
Halftime: Well, that was exhilerating, if you love defense. Syracuse & Dayton both are shooting below 35%. That's rough.
Halftime: Dayton 20, Syracuse 18 at the half! Lowwwww score!
1st Half, 30 Seconds Left: Big offensive rebound for Dayton, but they just can't hit their shots! Syracuse to hold for last possession.
1st Half, 1 Minute Left: SANFORD AND SONS! NEW DAYTON NICKNAME! He's got it going ON!
1st Half, 1 Minute Left: Vee Sanford with an airball, then a goofy foul by Dayton. Grant at the line.
1st Half, 2 Minutes Left: 18-17 Dayton, big bucket by Sanford. There's 2 minutes left in the 1st, what a low scoring game!
1st Half 3 Minutes Left: For goodness sakes, Syracuse is having trouble getting NEAR the bucket! Dayton's defense is still. Fine job on Jerami Grant!
1st Half, 4 Minutes Left: This is a rough drought for the Flyers. They're lucky Syracuse hasn't ran away from them, and that's because CJ Fair hasn't been utilized enough. Dayton's got to stop the bleeding.
1st Half, 5 Minutes Left: Red really is a good color for Dayton. Stands out. However, Ennis just had a magnificent pass down low, for an easy bucket for the Cuse! 1 point game!
1st Half, 5 Minutes Left: Finally, a foul called down low. Dayton to the costless throw line.
1st Half, 5 Minutes Left: Dyshawn Pierre was fouled, that should have been called! Oh, that's gonna sting.
1st Half, 6 Minutes Left: Dayton just can't make their shots right now. Still leads, 14-12. But they've got to get their cold spell on offense out of here!
1st Half, 7 Minutes Left: The Flyers don't want to let Syracuse hang around, though. They can't be complacent.
1st Half, 7 Minutes Left: I'm actually hosting live coverage of SDSU-NDSU here on VAVEL as well! Go to the home page, and you can have both up at once, without having to continuously change the channel!
1st Half, 7 Minutes Left: Syracuse out of control on the offensive end. They need to slow this thing down, or Dayton will rip them to shreds in transition.
1st Half, 8 Minutes Left: Cooney getting a rest. He needs it. It's a battle out there. Kavanaugh is also getting many ribis so far. Acting like a true big man.
1st Half, 10 Minutes Left: CJ Fair gets Syracuse to 8 with the floater, but Dayton always has an answer. Cutting through the zone like champs. Teamwork ruling the day! Devin Oliver going to the charity stripe.
1st Half, 10 Minutes Left: Both squads can get chippy. The refs will have to calm things down occasionally.
1st Half, 11 Minutes Left: Oh goodness, both teams a little sloppy!
1st Half, 12 Minutes Left: I had a feeling that Ennis and Cooney would struggle, at least early. Sometimes, people forget that Ennis is just a freshman.
1st Half, 12 Minutes Left: Syracuse can't hit an elephant!!! This is a complete disaster for the Orange! Vee Sanford with the massive TWOOOO!!!!!!
1st Half, 13 Minutes Left: Offensive rebounds galore for the Flyers. That's how you beat the zone! 5 point lead.
1st Half, 14 Minutes Left: Where is the pressure, Syracuse? 7-4 Dayton.
1st Half, 15 Minutes Left: Cooney had a horrible slump near the end of the season. If Syracuse is gonna win this, they've got to have him rolling from outside.
1st Half, 15 Minutes Left: Great broadcasting crew tonight. Verne Lundqvist and Bill Raftery, best in the biz. Look them with me on here tonight!
1st Half 16 Minutes Left: Syracuse doesn't have much depth. They will have to rely on Ennis and Cooney a lot tonight, which will be tough with the masterous backcourt of Dayton.
1st Half, 16 Minutes Left: Kavanaugh! Dayton up 3.
1st Half, 17 Minutes Left: Archie Miller at Dayton, Sean Miller at Arizona. Wouldn't we love to see that in the tournament.
1st Half, 18 Minutes Left: Fast pace, Tyler Ennis just missed a wide open 3 pointer.
1st Half, 20 Minutes Left: Dayton's strength is in the backcourt, but look for Matt Kavanaugh and Dyshawn Pierre for them. Dayton off to a 3 point lead!
1st Half, 20 Minutes Left: Syracuse gets the opening tip, but Christmas turned the ball over. Dayton slows it down.
Pregame: Mascot war: An Orange, or a Fighter Pilot? Pregame: Dayton's lack of defensive proficiency worries me. The zone may puzzle them tonight. That is Dayton's biggest fear, but I have a feeling young head coach Archie Miller will have them more than prepared. This is fully thought of as a big potential for a Dayton win tonight.
Pregame: Dayton lost to Baylor in the Maui Classic in November, and Syracuse beat the Bears for the tournament title. Boeheim said he thought he'd be preparing for the Flyers in the Maui title game, and all these months later that matchup is at hand.
Pregame: Jerami Grant has battled injuries as of late, and the Orange will need him to help out CJ Fair down low. He's such a key cog.
Pregame: Syracuse, as we all know, had a rough end to the season after starting out undefeated for a long time. Jim Boeheim has two inconsistent yet talented guards. They will have to work tonight to surpass Devin Oliver and these Flyers. Dayton was a bubble team before the tournament. Now they're a favorite.
Pregame: Archie Miller's bunch comes into this game with some swagger. They took down the school that is their neighbor, OSU, in the Battle Of Ohio, after last second heriocs from Vee Sanford.
Pregame: I welcome you to First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY, where the high flying Dayton Flyers will take on the Syracuse Orangemen! Dayton is coming off that shocking win over Ohio State, and is hungry for more. Syracuse and Tyler Ennis wants a National Championship. Will the Flyers settle for the OSU victory? Or will they fight tonight? We shall see!