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Dayton holds home court, beats Boise State to advance

Mar 19, 2015 - 11:30 AM Dayton, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Jordan Sibert's 3-pointer with 35 seconds left was the difference as Dayton defended its home court and knocked off Boise State 56-55 to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Flyers trailed by nine before staging a late comeback, scoring on eight straight possessions with five field goals and three trips to the free throw line to tie the score at 53-53.

A pair of Montigo Alford free throws with 45 ticks left put Boise State back in front, but Sibert was pure from NBA range at the other end to the delight of the home crowd.

"Coach, he called the play, he believed in me," said Sibert.

Empty trips both ways left the Broncos with one final look at the basket, but star point guard and Mountain West Player of the Year Derrick Marks air-balled a 3-pointer while attempting to draw a foul at the horn.

Kendall Pollard scored 17 points to lead Dayton (26-8), which was the first team to play an NCAA Tournament game at home since 1987. Sibert and Scoochie Smith added 13 and 11 points, respectively.

The Flyers, who will take on sixth-seeded Providence on Friday in Columbus, Ohio, ran their win streak at UD Arena to 22 games.

Marks poured in a game-high 23 points, Alford added 11 off the bench and James Webb III posted eight points and 13 rebounds for Boise State (25-9).

"It didn't end the way I expected it to," said Marks, a senior. "It's going to be tough to take this jersey off for the last time."

Alford made three triples during the first half, the last of which started a 14-0 run that helped the Broncos to a 29-20 halftime lead.

The Flyers regrouped out of the locker room, using a prolonged 17-5 run to climb in front. Smith his consecutive 3s on the back end of the flurry.

Boise State rattled off the next 11 points, with Marks' six leading the charge. Rob Heyer's triple just before the midpoint of the second half made it 45-37.

Game Notes

Dayton is 17-0 at home this season ... Boise State has never won an NCAA Tournament game in seven tries ... Dayton's bench only produced three points.