‘Stuff that you dream about’ — UD’s Brea enjoys perfect homecoming

While Scoochie Smith took over Fordham’s gym four years in a row during his career with the Dayton Flyers, he didn’t bring as many fans to the game as Brea, who brought them to their feet often by making all four of his 3-point attempts in an 82-58 victory.

“That’s stuff that you dream about,” Brea said, “coming back to your hometown and playing college basketball and having everybody come out and show that type of love and support.”

Brea finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals — all season highs.

“I thought he played with great poise, great purpose,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said.

“That’s Koby Brea,” said forward DaRon Holmes II, who led Dayton with 32 points. “He does that every game, but I know since he was home, it made it even better.”

This was Brea’s first appearance at Rose Hill Gym since his freshman season when Dayton lost 55-54 at Fordham in 2021. He was scheduled to play Dayton teammate Malachi Smith there when both were seniors in high school, but the game between Brea’s Monsignor Scanlan and Smith’s St. Raymond School for Boys was cancelled during the early days of the pandemic.

This was the first time Brea had been able to play in front of fans at Fordham, and close to 300 came out just for him, including a large group from his high school. His dad Stephan Brea was in the center of it all, posing for photos with his son on the baseline seconds after the game.

“It means a lot,” Stephan said. “They had seen him before, growing up. To me, it’s very tough (to play like that) in front of the crowd. They were waiting for it.”

Koby, still wearing his uniform, posed for dozens of photos and talked to many of the fans after the game. By the time he got to the locker room, most of his teammates had already showered and got on the bus.

Brea has made 10 of 15 3-pointers in Atlantic 10 Conference play. He leads the conference in 3-point shooting percentage (66.7) since league play began. He’s shooting 43.2% (19 of 44) on the season.

Most importantly, Brea has stayed healthy after missing six of the first seven games with an injury and illness.

“It was really tough time for him,” Stephan said. “I told him, ‘Just be patient,’ and the game would come to him.”

Credit: David Jablonski

Credit: David Jablonski

Biggest fan: Obi Toppin arrived at Rose Hill Gym minutes before tipoff Tuesday. He had to work the night before with the New York Knicks but made time for his college team.

Toppin hugged Grant and all the players just before pregame introductions and also spoke to the team after the game in the locker room and led the team in prayer, Brea said.

“He basically told us, ‘Way to take care of business,’” Brea said.

This was the second time Toppin has seen the Flyers play since his college career ended in 2020. They lost 53-52 to Virginia Commonwealth at UD Arena last January with him behind the bench. He also watched the Dayton alumni team, the Red Scare, play in The Basketball Tournament at UD Arena four times last summer.

“He’s just a first-class guy,” said Dayton Athletic Director Neil Sullivan, who sat with Obi and his mom, Roni Toppin, behind the Dayton bench. “Everyone sees how he is. He’s been a great university ambassador, and that’s how it’s supposed to work. People come to the University of Dayton and have a great experience. The community embraces you. He returns that, and it’s really a wonderful relationship.”

Special moment: Toppin visited with Dayton fan Roni Kane-Heaning, a 1987 UD graduate who was diagnosed with ALS in September, before the game. Kane-Heaning now lives in Clark, N.J., her daughter Shannon said. She has five children. She was the senior patron of her sorority Tri Lambda while at UD.

Doug Hauschild, Dayton’s longtime director of athletics communication, told Toppin about Kane-Heaning, when Toppin arrived at the game, and he walked over to meet her.

Toppin posed for a photo with Kane-Heaning and fellow 1987 grad Joe Maimone, who also helped set up a meeting after the game with Grant, another 1987 graduate.

“In preparation for the game I told the Fordham SID her story,” Maimone said. “She’s originally from Queens, N.Y., and is one of the biggest UD hoops fans out there. (Fordham) responded with courtside seats for her/us. Not only did Doug get Obi to visit her, I emailed AG ahead of time and he made it a point to visit her after the game to wish her well. Feel good story all around.”