“It really wasn’t my night, but it’s not an individual game,” Dillard said. “It’s a team game. As long as we get the win, that’s all that matters.”
Dillard didn’t mind his poor shooting numbers — 3-of-13 from the field — as much as he did his turnover total (5). That’ll stick with him until the next game, even though he had four more assists than his average last season.
“It was a pretty rough game for me,” Dillard said. “I’ll watch film, learn from it and play better the next game.”
Dayton coach Archie Miller wasn’t worried about Dillard.
“Most people would take those numbers from their point guard,” he said. “He’s at such a different expectation level that you think he’s going to play perfect all the time.”
Next game: The Flyers travel to Charleston, S.C., this week for the Charleston Classic. They'll play three games in four days, beginning Thursday with a 12:30 p.m. matchup against Colorado. They'll face Baylor or Boston College in the second game Friday at 12:30 or 2:30 p.m. and then play St. John's, College of Charleston, Murray State or Auburn on Sunday.
“It’s a big tournament, a great field,” Miller said. “I’m excited to go down there. It’s great to be a part of it with those programs and to be on television and give our fans an opportunity to go down there. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s all business for us. When we start to prepare for Colorado, there’s a sense of urgency in the coaches and the players. It’s fun, but when you go down there, you want to win.”
Getting healthy: Dayton got a lift with the return of Alex Gavrilovic, who had 4 points and 2 rebounds in 18 minutes after missing both preseason games with an illness.
Freshman guard Khari Price did miss the game with an injury.
“He’s day to day,” Miller said. “He’s gotten better every day. Give him another four or five days, and I assume he’ll be feeling a lot better. I would anticipate him being ready at some point in time in the tournament.”
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