LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Mustapha Amzil's lone basket of the game was a memorable one.
Amzil hit a running jumper in the lane at the buzzer, and Dayton beat No. 4 Kansas 74-73 on Friday.
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Kansas’ David McCormack blocked Malachi Smith's layup with 3 seconds left. Amzil picked up the loose ball, and his shot went off the rim and backboard before going in.
“It was great,” Amzil said. “I had to watch the ball bounce in and down. It's hard to describe. It's surreal. It's a great feeling.”
It was Amzil's only shot from the field. He also went 2 for 4 at the free-throw line.
“Obviously great presence of mind by Mustapha to know the clock and give us a chance,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “We're grateful the shot fell.”
Kansas coach Bill Self said after McCormack's block it was “good fortune, bad fortune.”
“The bottom line is, we didn’t execute when we needed to,” Self said. ”It was a heck of a shot. They deserved it. It was a great baseball game."
After Smith cut the deficit to 73-72 on a layup, McCormack was called for an offensive foul with 9 seconds to play.
Ochai Agbaji scored four of his 21 points during a late 6-0 run, helping Kansas take a 73-70 advantage with just over a minute remaining.
Dayton (3-3) had five players score in double figures. DaRon Holmes II had 16 points, and Toumani Camara and Elijah Weaver both added 14.
“That was a battle,” Grant said. “That was a heck of a game.”
Christian Braun had 17 points for Kansas (4-1).
Weaver hit a pair of 3-pointers and Holmes ended a 16-1 surge with consecutive dunks to put Dayton up 53-50 five minutes into the second half.
After Kansas pulled within one, Holmes was left alone for a dunk that made it 70-67 with four minutes remaining.
Kansas went on a 17-8 run to go up 44-29 late in the first half. Braun ended the stretch with a slam off a floating pass from Dajuan Harris Jr.
BIG-TIME WELCOME
ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale received a standing ovation as he walked across the court to his broadcast position before the game. Vitale announced last month that he has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time this year, undergoing tests that show he has lymphoma. Vitale said in August that he underwent multiple surgeries to remove melanoma.
THE TAKEAWAY
Dayton: Has 12 freshmen on the roster and continue to improve as the season progresses.
“Every game is a growing experience for our guys.” Grant said. “I think today showed them that when they lock in, when they're focused on the things that are most important, they're capable of doing what they did tonight.”
Kansas: Will be interesting to see if the Jayhawks will fall out of the top 10.
REMATCH
The teams met in the 2019 Maui Invitational championship, with Kansas prevailing 90-84 in overtime.
UP NEXT
Dayton: Will play either Iona or Belmont on Sunday
Kansas: Plays Sunday against the loser of Iona-Belmont.
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