Columbus, Ohio - On a nightmarish night for Providence College, Kris Dunn desperately tried to shake himself and his team out of their collective funk. 

Nothing worked. 

The Friars were too deep into a death spiral. 

Dunn, the best player on the court in just about every game this season, couldn’t save sixth-seeded Providence from losing to No. 11 Dayton, 66-53, Friday in the NCAA tournament second round action at Nationwide Arena. 

“It was just one of those days,” Dunn said. 

The dynamic duo of Dunn and senior LaDontae Henton both struggled, shooting a combined 11-for-39 from the field. When that happens, it’s nearly impossible for the Friars. 

In his first NCAA tournament appearance, Dunn finished with 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting. He had four assists and seven turnovers in the face of constant defensive pressure. The Flyers were determined not to let Dunn beat them. 

Dayton’s Kyle Davis defended Dunn. But he got plenty of help. 

“Kris Dunn is probably the best point guard in all of college basketball,” Dayton coach Archie Miller said. “He is so fast and delivers the ball so fast. Kyle was able to at least contain and keep him in front and be tough, especially when they were setting ball screens.” 

Dunn’s night started poorly and never got much better. 

Forty-four seconds into the game, Dunn was whistled for a flagrant foul. Officials made the call after reviewing an offensive foul call on the sophomore guard. About two minutes later, he picked up his second foul and went to the bench. 

Providence’s turnover-fest kicked into high gear without its star point guard running the show. 

“It definitely changes our rhythm,” coach Ed Cooley said of playing without Dunn. “He’s definitely the best player on our team. He’s a factor. Not having him out there changes our synergy and rhythm.” 

The Friars (22-12) never found their rhythm even when Dunn returned. Despite their poor play, they trailed just 28-25 at halftime. 

The deficit was still just three (44-41) with 6:43 left in the game. But the Flyers broke away with a 12-1 run that pushed the gap to 56-42. A frustrated Cooley knocked a chair to the floor during a timeout and received a technical foul. 

“I’m trying to fire my team up and I guess the chair was knocked down,” Cooley said. “Officials do what they’ve got to do.” 

Dayton (27-8) greatly benefited from a home crowd-like atmosphere, as tons of their fans drove the 70 miles from Dayton to pack the building. 

Providence made no excuses. 

The Friars shot poorly (33.9 percent) from the field and committed 16 turnovers. Henton forced too many shots, sinking just 7 of 26 attempts on his way to a game-high 18 points. 

“That was not a good performance by us,” Cooley said. “I feel bad because of our seniors. I wish we could have won the game for them and won the game for our city and our state. It’s sad. It’s a tough loss for us.” 

The post-game conversation turned to Dunn’s future. He’s projected to be a first round draft pick, if he decides to leave school early. 

“I’m not really going to focus on that right now…,” Dunn said. “Now I’ve got to focus on school.” 

Dunn and his parents plan to meet with Cooley at a yet to be determined date. 

“Kris, his parents and myself, we will sit down and have a lengthy discussion,” Cooley said. “Kris will do what’s in the best interests of him and his family. We’ll give him all the information that he needs. 

“Whatever he decides, we’ll bless. … Kris had a phenomenal year. Hopefully, it’s not his last game.” 

Dunn will forever cherish this season, his best in college basketball. He bounced back an injury-plagued first two seasons to become the first Friar to earn Big East player of the year honors. 

“It was amazing just to get back on the floor with the fellas,” Dunn said. “It was definitely enjoyable ... It was a blessing to be back out there.'' 

His family made the 10-hour drive from home to attend Friday's game. 

g.keefe@theday.com 

Twitter: @GavinKeefe