“Too many times,” Camara said Tuesday after a 68-61 victory against Davidson at UD Arena. “Probably three times that night and a couple times the next day. It is hard. I mean everybody wants to win every game. Everybody wants to learn through winning if it’s possible. But I think the best thing you need is to lose one time and to be able to bounce back from that and learn from those mistakes. It keeps us humble so we can learn who we really are and what we’re capable of.”
Dayton rarely lets a loss, even one as traumatic as the VCU loss, in which it blew a four-point lead in the last 30 seconds, affect it in the next game, and that was the case Tuesday. The Flyers trailed 32-29 at halftime but opened the second half with a 15-2 run and led the rest of the way.
Here are three takeaways from Dayton’s 19th game:
1. Dayton continues to own Davidson: The Flyers have won seven straight games in the series since a loss to Davidson in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament in 2017. This is the first time Dayton and Davidson have played twice in the regular season, and the Flyers swept both games, winning 69-55 at Davidson on Dec. 31.
Davidson (9-10, 2-5) did play better in this game against Dayton (13-6, 5-1). The Wildcats limited Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II to four points after he scored 32 in the first game.
“I thought Davidson came out and had a great game plan,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “I thought their guys really played with force to start the game. Our guys were able to weather the storm in the first half, and I thought we came out and matched and surpassed their intensity in the second half.”
2. The Flyers took control early in the second half: Dayton made seven shots in a row during the 15-2 run in the first five minutes of the half.
Camara, who scored 15 points and blocked three shots, started the run with a layup and later hit a 3-pointer during the run. Dayton led 44-34 after a jump shot by Mike Sharavjamts, who had nine points, seven assists and no turnovers, at the 15:23 mark.
“We made plays on both sides of the ball that allowed us to win,” Grant said. “It is just another example of these guys’ ability to bounce back, to have each other’s backs, to play for each other. It’s just a testament to who they are as a group. A lot of times, I think we want it to be easy. It’s never easy. There’s nothing easy about trying to win a championship. This was a really hard-fought, really high level, in my opinion, college basketball game.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
3. Malachi Smith’s return provided a boost: After missing the first three games with a right ankle injury and then 11 games with a left ankle injury, the sophomore point guard made his fifth appearance of the season. He had five points, five assists and one turnover in 15 minutes.
Smith hoped to return for the Fordham game in his hometown last week. His ankle was healthy. But he and the trainers and coaching staff thought he needed more time to get back in shape. He thought he came back too soon in November, not because of his ankle, but because he didn’t have his wind back. He said he played Tuesday without thinking of his ankle too much.
“It was rough these last couple months,” Smith said. “I was just happy to play basketball.”
STAR OF THE GAME
Dayton’s Mustapha Amzil scored 19 points, his highest total since scoring 20 in the second game of the season against Southern Methodist, on 5-of-8 shooting. He made 7 of 8 free throws. He converted a four-point play in the first half of an assist from Smith and made three free throws in the second half after again being fouled on a 3-point attempt.
Amzil played in front of his family for the third straight game. They delayed their return to Finland after the loss to VCU because they wanted to see Dayton win.
STAT OF THE GAME
Dayton held Davidson’s leading scorer, Foster Loyer, to seven points on 3-of-11 shooting. He averages 16.1 points per game. He had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting in the first game against Dayton.
LOOKING AHEAD
Dayton plays George Washington (9-9, 3-2) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C. The Colonials won 78-75 at George Mason on Monday and also own A-10 victories against Massachusetts and Loyola Chicago. Their losses are on the road to Richmond and at home to Saint Louis. The Flyers have won two straight games at the Smith Center, including 83-58 last season, after losing four straight there.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Dayton at George Washington, 12:30 p.m., USA Network, 1290, 95.7
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