The University of Dayton Flyers can't seem to do anything that will change a topsy-turvy season that has been in reverse gear since before Christmas. 

In seasons past, the Flyers might have have gotten a lift from a game with LaSalle. Not this year. Lady Luck turned her back again Saturday afternoon.

The Explorers, who had fallen to the Flyers 11 straight times, refused to make it an even dozen. With Steven Smith scoring 24 points, La Salle (17-7, 9-4) defeated Dayton, 74-71, in front of 3,612 spectators at Tom Gola Arena.

Dayton (12-14, 4-8), which hasn't won an Atlantic 10 Conference game on the road this season, made a strong bid, thanks to a 24-point performance by sophomore guard Brian Roberts, who scored 21 in the second half while battling a sore back.

La Salle made 50 percent of its field goal attempts, 10 of 24 three-pointers and 18 of 24 free throws while continuing to build on its first winning season in 13 years.

UD Coach Brian Gregory blamed the loss on Dayton's lack of defensive energy.

"Defensively, we were very poor," Gregory said. "You can't play that way on the road and expect to win games. You can't let a team shoot 50 percent, you can't let a team shoot 42 percent from 3, you can't let them get nine offensive rebounds on only 23 misses in live action."

After the teams had traded the lead 20 times in a see-saw game, La Salle eased ahead with 9:05 remaining and won its seventh straight game by holding off UD down the stretch. After Roberts sank a 3-point shot with 1:46 remaining, cutting La Salle's lead to 72-71, Dayton couldn't score again.