Dayton basketball: Where do Flyers play best, worst on road in A-10?

The Dayton Flyers played in front of the least-packed venue they’ve seen all season Saturday at George Washington’s Charles E. Smith Center and lost 82-62. Five days later, they played in front of an even smaller crowd and lost 76-72 to Massachusetts on Wednesday at the Mullins Center.

The announced attendance at those two games, 3,035 and 2,373, respectively was not the number of the actual people in the seats. Even UD Arena, where Dayton has seen 69 sellouts in a row and counting, often has empty seats in the upper corners, even if 13,407 is always the announced attendance.

The atmosphere at George Washington and UMass may have played a part in Dayton’s struggles — or maybe not because this is a team that has struggled to make shots at home, too.

The truth is winning on the road is difficult for many reasons. According to StatHead.com, Dayton’s road record in A-10 regular-season games is 112-135 (.453), while its home record is 196-51 (.793). Home teams are winning 61.9% of the time this season, according to KenPom.com. That number was 59.9% last season

Dayton’s records at A-10 venues since entering the conference in the 1995-96 season show just how challenging these games are. Here’s how the current A-10 arenas rank for Dayton in degree of difficulty:

1. George Washington’s Charles E. Smith Center

Dayton’s record: 6-15 (.285).

2. Virginia Commonwealth’s Stuart C. Siegel Center

Dayton’s record: 4-7 (.364).

3. Saint Joseph’s Michael J. Hagan Arena

Dayton’s record: 7-12 (.368).

4. Massachusetts’ Mullins Center

Dayton’s record: 8-12 (.400)

5. Rhode Island’s Ryan Center

Dayton’s record: 8-11 (.421).

6. Richmond’s Robins Center

Dayton’s record: 6-8 (.429).