Dayton 79, North Carolina 68: Flyers Win First NIT Championship Since 1968

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Marcus Johnson scored 20 points and Dayton captured the title at the National Invitation Tournament for the first time since 1968 with a 79-68 triumph over North Carolina.

Paul Williams scored 16, while Chris Wright and Chris Johnson each had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Flyers (25-12), who won the event for a third time, also lifting the trophy in 1962.

Will Graves had 25 points to lead the Tar Heels (20-17), who were trying to become the first team to win NCAA and NIT crowns in consecutive seasons. Deon Thompson tallied 13 points and 10 boards, while Larry Drew II added 12 points in defeat.

Chris Johnson suffered a hip injury in the first half when he tumbled to the floor while driving to the basket. He battled through the injury and sank a big three-pointer late in the second half.

North Carolina faced a 13-point deficit going into the final 20 minutes, but closed the gap to 46-44 on a dunk by Tyler Zeller inside 17 minutes left.

Each time the Tar Heels rallied, the Flyers had an answer as they never gave up the lead in the second half. Graves made two foul shots, but Marcus Johnson responded with a three-pointer for a 59-54 difference with nine minutes to go.

Graves sank a three-ball for a 67-63 difference inside four minutes left, but Chris Johnson connected from long distance and then added a dunk with under three minutes left for a nine-point cushion. That effectively sealed UNC’s fate.

Dayton used a 12-2 run to end the half. Wright and Marcus Johnson jammed to cap nine consecutive points for the Flyers, but Zeller stopped the flurry with a layup. Williams hit a three-pointer in the dying seconds to give Dayton a 45-32 edge at the break.

The Tar Heels eclipsed Michigan State for last year’s NCAA championship...UNC was hoping to win its second NIT title after also having won the event in 1971. The 17 losses are the second-highest loss total in UNC history. The 2001-02 team lost 20 games.