Cooke scores 24 as No. 24 Dayton beats George Mason 98-64
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) Charles Cooke scored 24 points to lead five Dayton players in double figures and the No. 24 Flyers never trailed after the opening minutes in a 98-64 victory over George Mason on Saturday night.
Dayton (19-3, 9-1) won its seventh straight game and moved into a tie atop the Atlantic 10 standings after Virginia Commonwealth's loss earlier in the day to George Washington.
Cooke, who came off the bench because of disciplinary reasons, scored 18 of his points in the first half and Dayton took a 47-31 lead at the break.
Seven different Dayton players knocked down a 3-pointer. The Flyers hit a season high 14 treys en route to their highest scoring output of the season. Dyshawn Pierre scored 15 points, Kendall Pollard had 13 and Scoochie Smith and John Crosby 10 apiece. Dayton shot a season high 63 percent and made 39 field goals.
Otis Livingston led George Mason (8-15, 2-8) with 21 points. The Patriots played without leading scorer Marquise Moore (left ankle) for the first time this season. Moore, who leads George Mason with 12.3 points per game, had started the Patriots' previous 22 games.
Dayton center Steve McElvene missed his first game of the season with an illness. McElvene had started 15 of the Flyers' 21 games, averaging 6.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
George Mason could get no closer than 55-39 with 15:54 left in the second half on a Jalen Jenkins free throw.
TIP-INS
Dayton: The Flyers are 9-0 when scoring at least 80 points this season. Last season Dayton scored over 80 just twice in 36 games.
George Mason: The Patriots are now 0-5 in conference home games this season.
WHAT'S NEXT
Dayton hosts Duquesne on Tuesday.
George Mason visits Rhode Island on Tuesday.
