This was a sad last walk for the coach and the players but also a proud ending to the season.
No. 7 seed Dayton looked in danger of being blown out in the second round of the NCAA tournament but showed the same fight and grit it displayed two days earlier in a 17-point comeback against No. 10 Nevada only to falter late in a 78-68 loss to No. 2 Arizona at the Delta Center.
The Flyers finished the season 25-8. The season featured a 13-game winning streak that propelled the program into the top 25 for most of the season, the first NCAA tournament appearance in seven years and the first NCAA tournament victory in nine years.
What will Holmes remember most?
“Everything,” he said. “All the moments, the wins and the losses, getting here to March, something we’ve always dreamed of, especially for the city of Dayton. It’s been a minute, especially getting a win in March. That’s really what we’re gonna remember. Just all the times together.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Here are three takeaways from Dayton’s 33rd and final game:
1. Holmes delivered another strong performance in what may have been his last college basketball game: Dayton’s junior star scored 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting. He added 11 rebounds. It was his 13th double-double of the season.
Holmes is expected to explore the draft process for the second straight season. He said he feels like his game’s ready for the next level but has not made a decision about his next step.
“At the end of the day, I’ve still got to see,” Holmes said. “I still don’t know yet. I’m going to go figure it out. I might be in a better position than I was last year. I still might not be ready. I don’t know.”
Grant was asked after the game if he thought Holmes was ready for the next level.
“I’m 100% behind whatever decision DaRon and his family makes,” Grant said. “That guy has been a joy to coach. I wish I could have him for another five years, another 10 years. I get calls from NBA teams and scouts ask me, ‘Is he as good a kid as he seems? You read about him and you listen to him.’ Yeah, he is. He’s about all the right stuff. He’s all about the team. He’s all about hard work. He’s all about character. He’s all about caring for other people. So whatever is best for him, I’m on that train. Sign me up.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
2. A slow start hurt Dayton again: The Flyers trailed Nevada 34-25 at halftime Thursday and faced a 40-33 halftime deficit against Arizona. It could have been worse. Dayton ended the half on a 10-0 run to cut into a 17-point deficit.
This was the fourth straight game Dayton trailed at halftime. For the third time in the last four games, it faced a deficit as large as 17 points.
Arizona built the lead by making 5 of 9 3-pointers in the first half and shooting 64% from the field. If not for 11 first-half turnovers, the Wildcats might have had a bigger lead.
“Their pressure to start the game was disruptive,” Grant said. “We were trying to run offense, and we had a difficult time on offense. Obviously, in order to press, you’ve got to score and we struggled to score there, so we had to figure some things out. Once we figured some things out, it started to go in our favor.”
3. Dayton’s comeback stalled in the second half: Javon Bennett had a 3-pointer go in and out at the halftime buzzer, or Dayton would have cut the deficit to four points. The first shot of the second half, a 3-point attempt by Koby Brea, also rattled the rim before bouncing out.
Dayton still kept chipping at Arizona’s lead. During one 90-second stretch, each team made three baskets. A Brea 3-pointer at the 11:40 mark brought Dayton within three points, 52-49.
Arizona answered with a 14-2 run in the next five minutes. Dayton couldn’t keep up with a team that ranks third in the nation in scoring (87.9 points per game). The Wildcats 52.8% (23 of 53), while Dayton shot 40.7% (24 of 59).
“We left some things on the table,” Grant said. “We got some good looks. We weren’t able to make the plays. That’s basketball. Sometimes it doesn’t go in your favor. But I thought that run there for them gave them a little bit of breathing room. It made it a little bit more comfortable for them. Guys fought. They stayed together all the way through the end. (Arizona’s )a really talented team.”
STAR OF THE GAME
Holmes made 8 of 17 shots from the field, including 2 of 4 3-pointers. He also made 5 of 7 free throws. He had three assists and three steals but also four of Dayton’s 14 turnovers.
STAT OF THE GAME
Arizona’s bench outscored Dayton’s 23-2. Javon Bennett was the only non-starter to score for Dayton. He made 2 of 2 free throws.
LOOKING AHEAD
Arizona will play No. 3 seed Baylor or No. 6 Clemson in the Sweet 16 on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
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