March Madness is continuing for the University of Dayton Flyers men's basketball team following Thursday night's win in a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament game held in Memphis. Dayton's 82-72 victory will send the Flyers to the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years.
With thrilling tournament wins over Ohio State and Syracuse already under their belts, the 11th-seeded Flyers used a smothering, aggressive defense along with an unselfish offensive effort to chop down the taller 10th-seeded Stanford Cardinal team.
The Flyers' 12-man rotation wore down Stanford in the second half, as the Cardinal had a tough time keeping up with the quicker, scrappier Dayton squad. Jordan Sibert, a transfer from Ohio State, led UD with 18 points, hitting 4-of-9 from 3-point range. Freshman Kendall Pollard added a season-high 12 points.
Dayton head coach, Archie Miller, called Thursday night's win an example of a true team effort. UD last made the Elite Eight in 1984, before bowing out to eventual tournament champion Georgetown.
Next up for Dayton is the tournament's top seed, the Florida Gators, who defeated UCLA Thursday night. The game will be played on Saturday in Memphis.