LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Paul Williams scored 18 points, Chris Johnson hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minute and Dayton beat Wake Forest 80-76 in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic on Thursday night.
Johnson’s shot from the corner gave Dayton (3-1) a 77-75 lead with 35.4 seconds left. Wake Forest (3-1) turned the ball over on its next possession, and then fouled Williams, who made 1 of 2 free throws for a three-point advantage with 9.2 seconds to go.
After Wake Forest’s Kevin Dillard connected on one of two from the foul line, Johnson made two free throws for an 80-76 lead.
A back-and-forth contest saw Dayton go up 67-66 with 4:23 remaining on Williams three-pointer. Wake Forest responded with five straight points, all from Travis McKie, to take a four-point lead.