On This Date: Flyers set dunk record 12 years ago

UD Head Coach Brian Gregory gets excited about his team's first-half play against UNC Greensboro on Saturday, Dec. 20 at UD Arena.

Credit: Chris Stewart

Credit: Chris Stewart

UD Head Coach Brian Gregory gets excited about his team's first-half play against UNC Greensboro on Saturday, Dec. 20 at UD Arena.

Obi Toppin shattered all the Dayton Flyers dunks records in his two seasons, setting marks for most dunks in a game (10), season (107) and career (190).

Toppin also helped Dayton set the school record for dunks by the team in a game when UD played North Florida on Dec. 30, 2019. He dunked 10 times. Ryan Mikesell dunked twice. Trey Landers had one.

The record of 13 tied the mark Dayton set a season earlier when Toppin dunked eight times and the team recorded five other dunks in a victory against Detroit Mercy.

The 13-dunk game broke the record of nine hit twice by the Flyers: on Jan. 25, 2009, against St. Bonaventure, and 12 years ago today on Dec. 20, 2008, against UNC Greensboro.

in the 2008-09 season, the Flyers had several great dunkers, including sophomore Chris Wright, Dayton’s all-time best dunker until Toppin came along. However, Charles Little led the dunk parade against Greensboro. Here’s a look back at that game through the Dayton Daily News game story by Doug Harris.

Flyers, fans enjoy dunk fest

Charles Little took a high lob on an out-of-bounds play and threw down a dunk. The Dayton senior forward then stepped in for a steal and raced to a reverse jam, after which he pumped his palms skyward to give the crowd the raise-the-roof signal.

And on the next time down the floor, Little took another high pass, caught it with one hand and tomahawked it in, after which he gave an exaggerated salute.

After having to grind away for much of their success this season, the 6-foot-6 forward and his teammates were able to have some fun against lowly North Carolina-Greensboro, and the 12,706 fans ate it up.

The Flyers had a school-record nine dunks — including four by Little — on their way to a 75-44 victory Saturday night, Dec. 20.

”I liked the first one (best),” said Little, who had a game-high 15 points. “The other two were OK. That’s where the ball was, and I had to go get it.”

Chris Johnson (12 points) and Marcus Johnson (10) had two dunks each, and Chris Wright had one. The previous record for dunks was eight against Toledo last season.

Asked which of Little’s jams he liked most, UD coach Brian Gregory said: “The second lob that Charles got, I thought that wasn’t going to be able to be completed. It looked like the ball was sailing out of bounds. All those plays came on hustle plays at the other end. Where you guys love the dunks, I love the plays that led to the dunk.”

The Flyers (10-1) played suffocating defense on the overmatched Spartans (1-8), who tied the game at 7-all with 13:43 to go in the first half but scored just two points over the next 14 possessions and eight the rest of the half. UD took a 37-15 lead into the locker room.

Star of the game

Little was 6-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from the foul line.

Stat of the game

The Flyers dogged the Spartans into 28.9-percent shooting from the field, the 10th foe in 11 games to fail to reach 40 percent from the field.

Quote

”I haven’t seen Charles that excited and have that many dunks since my freshman year,” junior guard Marcus Johnson said.

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