DAYTON, Ohio _ Nobody knew it was over. Nobody could have.
What everyone did recognize at the University of Dayton Arena on the night of Saturday, March 7, was that they were in the midst of something special, a once-in-a-lifetime finish to the regular season in front of adoring and appreciative fans.
A tie game in the second half against underdog George Washington quickly turned into a rout. Obi Toppin, the national player of the year, sent the crowd into a frenzy with a series of dunks, including one in which he moved the basketball between his legs. The noise was loud enough to feel. You could practically see it.
After the game, which concluded a 29-2 regular season and an 18-0 run through the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Flyers cut down the nets. As players, their families and some fans hugged on the court, they spoke of how this was only the beginning.
Instead, it was the end.
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The greatest regular season in Dayton Flyers history didn't have a postseason. If the Flyers had lived up to the No. 1 seed they were expected to get if they won the A-10 tournament, they would be playing this weekend in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. It would have been glorious.
Dayton has had great teams. The Flyers were a national power in the 1950s. They reached the NCAA championship game in 1967. They advanced to the Elite Eight with unexpected runs in 1984 and 2014.
This team was different. It really could have won it all. That's what makes the cancellation of the tournament so tough for Dayton fans.
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