DAYTON, Ohio (AP) Trey Landers matched his season high with 18 points, Obi Toppin also had 18 and No. 7 Dayton beat Fordham 70-56 Saturday for its 16th straight win over the Rams.
The Flyers (20-2, 9-0 Atlantic 10) had little problem extending their streak against the Rams (7-14, 1-8). Dayton hasn’t lost to Fordham since Jan. 4, 2005, a 66-56 Rams win at the Rose Hill Gym.
Landers had a career-high 26 points against Fordham last season and helped the Flyers gain control quickly by scoring 13 in the first half. Landers also finished with a team-high eight rebounds.
Jalen Cobb had 22 points for Fordham.
The Flyers opened with an 18-4 run sparked by Toppin, who had a dunk and a 3-pointer that began the run. Dayton led by 21 in the first half, holding the Rams to 30.8% from the field.
The Flyers got ahead comfortably even though top outside shooter Jalen Crutcher missed all of his six shots in the half. Crutcher, who had at least 20 points in four of the last five games, finished with three points on 1-of-8 shooting.
The Rams hit three consecutive 3s, cutting a 22-point deficit to 47-34, but Toppin hit a bank shot and a free throw to blunt Fordham’s comeback.
Fordham’s defense is its strength, leading the Atlantic 10. The Rams allow an average of 60.7 points, which ranks 14th nationally. Dayton leads the league in scoring at 82.7 points per game and became the fourth team to score 70 points against the Rams this season.
The officials separated Dayton’s Rodney Chatman and Fordham’s Joel Soriano as they exchanged words with 5:56 left in the first half.
BIG PICTURE
Fordham: The Rams hadn’t played a ranked team since an 86-79 loss to No. 10 West Virginia two years ago. They’ve lost four straight against ranked teams since a 60-54 win over No. 21 Harvard in 2011.
Dayton: The Flyers have been ranked nationally for nine straight weeks, their best stretch since the end of the 1955-56 season, when they finished No. 3. They haven’t been ranked higher than No. 7 since December 1967, when they were sixth.
UP NEXT
Fordham hosts Richmond next Saturday. They’re alternating home and road games for nine straight games.
Dayton hosts Saint Louis next Saturday, the second of three straight home games. The Flyers won at Saint Louis 78-76 in overtime on Jan. 17.
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