March 7, 2001

Box Score

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Brooks Hall shot 7-for-10 from 3-point range and finished with a career-high 24 points to lead Dayton to an 85-59 victory over Rhode Island in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Wednesday night.

Ramod Marshall added 18 points for the Flyers (19-11), who have won their opening game in the tournament four straight years. Dayton will play Temple in the second round on Thursday night.

The Flyers converted 12 of 26 3-point attempts against the Rams (7-23), last in the Atlantic 10 in 3-point defense.

Brian Woodward scored 18 points to lead the Rams in Jerry DeGregorio's last game as coach. DeGregorio, who announced Feb. 12 he was leaving at the end of the season, was 12-47 in two years.

Dayton, which was coming off a 65-62 upset of then-No. 25 Xavier on Sunday, went on a 19-10 run to open the second half. Keith Waleskowski scored six points during the run, which was capped by Marshall's 3-pointer to make it 60-35 with 11:29 remaining.

The Rams made one last strong effort to get back into it 60-45 by scoring 10 straight points, including seven by Woodward, but could not get the deficit under 15 the rest of the way. The Flyers closed with a 14-4 run.

Dayton's 36-24 halftime lead was thanks in large part to Rhode Island's poor shooting. The Rams shot just 27.6 percent (8-of-29) in the first half, and shot 34.5 percent (20-of-58) overall.

After Marcus Evans' two free throws made it 30-22 with 2:38 left, Dayton went on a 6-2 run to close the half. Hall's 15-footer with nine seconds left made it 36-22 to give the Flyers their biggest lead of the half at 14. Tiger Womack's 15-footer with two seconds left closed the scoring.

Rhode Island point guard Zach Marbury, brother of the New Jersey Nets' Stephon Marbury, was held to six points. Marbury, who averages 17.3, didn't score his first basket until he made a 3-pointer at the 11-minute mark of the second half.