Flyers Close Exhibitions With 88–56 Rout; Season Opens Nov. 2
Dayton beat Morehead State by 32 at UD Arena behind Amaël L'Etang's 14 points and now turns to NJIT in the opener.
The University of Dayton men's basketball team finished its preseason the way coach Anthony Grant would want, with an 88–56 win over Morehead State on Saturday, Oct. 24, at UD Arena.
The win was Dayton's last exhibition before the 2026-27 season opens Monday, Nov. 2, at home against NJIT, according to the school's athletics department.
How it went
Dayton led 42–30 at halftime and pulled away after the break, according to the UD game recap.
Amaël L'Etang, a 7-foot-1 junior forward from France, led the Flyers with 14 points and six rebounds. Freshman guard Aiden Derkack added 13 points.
Junior forward Malcolm Thomas had 11 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots, a team high. Senior guard Zaide Lowery scored 10 points with six rebounds, and sophomore forward Damon Friery also scored 10.
The Flyers shot 50.8% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 82.4% at the free-throw line, according to UD's statistics. Morehead State shot 35.4% overall and 27.8% from 3.
Dayton outrebounded the Eagles 42–35 and committed nine turnovers to Morehead State's 11.
A roster built on transfers
Grant's 17-man roster mixes returning players with a long list of newcomers from other programs, according to the school's published 2026-27 roster.
Lowery came from Marquette. Guard Travis Perry, a junior, played at Kentucky and Ole Miss. Graduate forward Jalen Haynes lists Virginia Tech, East Tennessee State, George Mason and Cincinnati as previous schools.
Forward Grant Randall arrives from Quinnipiac, guard Tristian Ford from Murray State and guard Landen Joseph from Marshall. L'Etang previously played for Cholet, according to his UD bio.
The roster also carries local ties. Senior guards Evan Dickey and Makai Grant both played high school ball at Dayton's Chaminade Julienne, and senior guard Will Maxwell is from Oakwood High School.
Derkack, from SPIRE Academy, and 6-foot-10 forward Cody Peck are among three freshmen on the roster.
What's next
The opener against NJIT tips at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at UD Arena. It will be televised on WHIO-TV and carried on WHIO Radio, according to UD athletics.