Cincinnati overcomes first-half deficit
April 24, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Dayton Bulldogs News Release
CINCINNATI, Ohio â It came down to the last 55 seconds of the game, but a pass by quarterback Brett Dietz, a touchdown reception by Rayshawn Aksew and an interception by Bret Hamben was what Cincinnati needed as the Marshals overcame a first-half deficit to defeat the Dayton Warbirds Saturday night, 81-74, in a National Indoor Football League game at U.S. Bank Arena.
With the Warbirds (2-2) taking a 74-73 lead with 1:21 remaining in the game, Cincinnati got a 41-yard kickoff return from Ernie Samuels to set up the winning score.
The Marshals (3-2), behind Dietz took only three plays and the former Hanover College standout passed 8 yards to Askew with 55 seconds left to give Cincinnati a 79-74 lead. Dietz then connected with Jeff Jordan for a two-point conversion and the Marshals held an 81-74 margin.
On the ensuing kickoff by Jesse Obert, Dayton took over on its own 5-yard line with 50 seconds left. Warbirds' quarterback Steve Bellisari connected with Maurice Lee for 13 yards and then went 0-for-3 before his fourth-down pass was intercepted by Hamben at the Dayton 9-yard line.
Hamben, collecting his second interception of the game, took a 5-yard loss in running the clock down to 10 seconds. Dietz then downed the ball to run the remaining seconds off the clock to give the Marshals their 3rd straight win.
Bellisari led Dayton to a 50-43 halftime margin by passing for three scores to Anthony Tyus for 16 yards, Jon Cain for 22 and BJ Lovett for 22 yards. Bellisari also ran for a pair of 1-yard scores, ran for a 2-point conversion and hit Lovett for another 2 pointer. That means Steve was directly responsible for 34 of the 50 first-half points.
Askew, out of Elizabeth City (N.J.) State, needed only one touchdown to reach 100 in the NIFL, but he totaled seven, four by rushing and three on passes from Dietz. The seven TDs equaled his 7 in a home loss (55-53) against the River City Rage earlier in the season. In the process of reaching the 100 plus mark Askew also set an NIFL single game scoring record 46 points.
Askew ran the ball 26 times for 97 yards and had four receptions for 27 yards. Dietz was 16 of 27 for 201 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.
Bellisari gave Dayton its last lead of the game, after the contest was tied twice in the second half, on his third 1-yard run of the game with 1:21 left. That gave the Warbirds a 74-73 lead.
The former Ohio State quarterback was 14 of 30 with five touchdowns and 168 yards. It was the second of two picks by Hamben that hurt the Warbirds.
Keith Brooks led Dayton in rushing with 15 carries for 72 yards and two scores and Pepe Pearson had only three carries for 20 yards.
Bellisari spread the ball around, connecting with Lee, Tyus and Lovett four times each with Tyus and Lovett collecting two TD passes.
Defensively, the Warbirds' Arden Banks had a fumble recovery for nine yards, a forced fumble and three pass break ups.
Cincinnati next plays host to the New Jersey Xtreme on April 30 and Dayton entertains the Lakeland ThunderBolts on Friday, April 29, at the Nutter Center.
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National Indoor Football League Stories from April 24, 2005
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- Cincinnati overcomes first-half deficit - Dayton Bulldogs
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