PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — The Dayton Flyers built a commanding early lead and then withstood a furious second-half rally from Duquesne to secure a 71-65 victory in an Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at A.J. Palumbo Center.

The Flyers, who led by as many as 17 points in the first half, saw their advantage whittled down to a single possession late before clutch free-throw shooting sealed their fourth consecutive win. Dayton improved to 13-3 overall and 3-0 in the conference, while Duquesne fell to 9-8 and 1-3.

The most important part of the game was Dayton’s stifling first-half defense, which set the tone and created the cushion necessary to survive Duquesne’s explosive second half. The Flyers held the Dukes to just 24 points on 8-of-27 shooting before halftime, forcing eight turnovers and blocking three shots. That defensive effort translated into a 33-24 lead at the break, a margin that felt much larger given the Dukes’ offensive struggles.

Dayton’s offense, while not efficient from the field, capitalized at the free-throw line, making 23 of 28 attempts. Duquesne, conversely, shot just 7 of 25 from three-point range and committed 12 turnovers against only six assists, undermining its comeback bid.

The Dukes emerged from halftime transformed, opening the second period with a 13-4 run to tie the game at 37-37 with 15:49 remaining, fueled by three-pointers from Tarence Guinyard and Jakub Necas. The game remained a tense, one-possession affair for the next several minutes until a critical sequence gave Dayton breathing room.

With the Flyers leading 50-47 and just over six minutes left, Jacob Conner stole a pass from Duquesne’s Alex Williams. On the ensuing possession, De’Shayne Montgomery found Javon Bennett for a three-pointer. After another Duquesne miss, Montgomery again assisted Bennett for another three, capping a rapid 6-0 spurt that pushed Dayton’s lead to 56-47 with 5:41 to play.

Duquesne refused to fold. Jimmie Williams hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 58-55 with 3:14 left, and after a Dayton turnover, he was fouled on a three-point attempt and made two free throws to make it 58-57 with 2:34 remaining. The Flyers’ response was decisive. Keonte Jones was fouled and made both free throws, and after a defensive stop, Jaiun Simon sank a corner three-pointer off a pass from Jones to extend the lead to 63-57 with 2:50 left.

The Dukes got within four points twice in the final minute, but Dayton made 8 of 10 free throws in the last 1:57 to close out the game. Bennett and Montgomery combined to go 6-for-6 from the line in the final 11 seconds.

Montgomery led Dayton with 11 points and three assists in 30 minutes, while Jones added 15 points and Bennett scored 14. For Duquesne, Alex Williams and Jimmie Williams each scored 15 points, with Guinyard handing out six assists. Necas provided a spark off the bench with 12 points and two blocks.

Dayton’s offense, which scored 71 points on 62 possessions for an efficiency rating of 114.0, ultimately proved just enough to counter Duquesne’s improved second-half output of 41 points. The Dukes finished with an offensive rating of 95.0 on their 68 possessions.

The announced attendance was 2,956.

The Flyers will look to continue their conference streak when they host Loyola Chicago on Friday night. Duquesne hits the road for its next contest, facing Fordham on Saturday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Dayton on Feb. 21.