DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Matt Kavanaugh scored a career-high 23 points and Dayton held off La Salle 79-75 Saturday night to move back into a tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference and snap the Explorers' six-game winning streak.
The Flyers (13-5, 3-1), coming off an 81-73 loss to St. Bonaventure, are tied with Massachusetts and Xavier atop the league standings.
Dayton never trailed and led by 12 with 2:39 remaining. La Salle (13-5, 2-1), which came in having won 11 of its past 12, then used a 13-4 run in the next 59 seconds, capped by a Ramon Galloway 3-pointer, to cut the deficit to three at 78-75.
Neither team scored again until Josh Parker's free throw with 2 seconds left.
Kavanaugh was 13 of 14 from the line, nearly matching his previous high of 15 points, and Luke Fabrizius added 14 points.
Earl Pettis scored 19 to lead the Explorers.
