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DAYTON, Ohio - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team wrapped up its exhibition schedule Monday night by dropping a 71-61 decision to the University of Dayton.
Marcus Johnson scored 13 points to lead four Dayton players in double figures in front of a crowd of 11,036. Chris Wright and Mickey Perry each scored 11 for the Flyers, who shot 44.6 percent from the field.
NKU's David Palmer (right) rejects a shot by Dayton's Mickey Perry in the second half.
Chris Johnson added 10 points for Dayton, which led by as many as 13 points in the second half. The Flyers, who are preseason favorites to win the Atlantic 10 Conference, scored the first seven points of the game. NKU, however, answered with a 7-0 run to tie it at 7-all on a 3-pointer by Yan Moukoury.
NKU later took a 25-24 lead with 7:12 remaining in the first half when Chris Knight made a pair of free throws. Dayton countered with a 9-0 run, capped by Perry’s 3-pointer that gave the Flyers a 33-25 advantage.
Dayton took a 41-34 lead into the locker room at intermission and slowly pulled away in the second half. Knight drained a 3-pointer with 7:49 left to bring NKU within seven points (61-54), but Dayton responded with a 6-0 spurt that increased its advantage to 67-54.
Scott Bibbins led NKU with 15 points, 11 of those in the first half. David Palmer added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Norse, who hit all 16 of their free-throw attempts and were 7-for-23 from 3-point range.
Knight finished with 10 points and six rebounds for NKU, which lost at Xavier by an 83-66 score Saturday night in its exhibition opener. Dustin Maguire added nine points and three assists, while Corey Sorrell scored six points.
NKU begins the regular season Sunday afternoon with an in-region showdown at Grand Valley State. The Lakers are ranked 13th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll by the NABC.
NKU is ranked 17th nationally by Basketball Times in that publication’s preseason poll.