Nearly six years later, no one will be surprised to learn Dayton broke that 3-point record by making 18 of 34 in a 91-67 victory against Oakland on Wednesday at UD Arena. The Flyers have shot 50% or better in four of their last five games and climbed to No. 2 in the country in accuracy from long range (41.8%) with another can’t-miss performance. They trail only Baylor (44.6).
Dayton (9-2) won its sixth straight game and extended its winning streak in non-conference home games to 16 in its last game before Christmas break.
“I’m just really proud of our group,” coach. Anthony Grant said. “I think we showed great maturity tonight. This was a tough prep in terms of (Oakland being) very different than any team we’ve played this year with the way that they defend. Their zone is unique, and our guys did a great job of understanding where we can take advantage of some of the opportunities that it presented.”
Here are three takeaways from Dayton’s 11th game:
1. Dayton knew the margin of the final score mattered: Dayton climbed from No. 44 to No. 30 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool after beating Cincinnati 82-68 on Saturday in its previous game. Lopsided victories can fuel a team’s rise in the NET. This one should help Dayton. Oakland (6-7) had not lost a game by more than 17 points this season.
“Our coaches been doing a pretty good job of just keeping us in the loop about how important that is,” Dayton guard Koby Brea said. “It’s not just about winning games at this point. For what we want in the future, we’re going to have to dominate games like this.”
2. DaRon Holmes played three days after a hospital stay: After scoring 28 points Saturday, Holmes had only one point in the first half. He finished with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and eight rebounds.
Asked by Hal McCoy in the postgame press conference if Holmes was feeling under the weather, Grant said, “I don’t know if I’m allowed to share it, but he had ended up Sunday with some type of a stomach virus and actually was in the hospital. Thankfully, he was able to get taken care of. He spent the night and got hydrated, got some medicine and was able to get out there and play, but he was far from 100%.”
Dayton saw three players sidelined by illness and miss games earlier in the season: Marvel Allen; Jaiun Simon; and Zimi Nwokeji.
3. The Flyers now get an extended break: Players can travel home on Thursday and don’t have to be back on campus until Tuesday night.
“This break is a time for them enjoy the family, enjoy some time away from the court a little bit and hopefully recharge and refocus,” Grant said. “It’s good that we’ve got great momentum heading into the break. Now we’ve got to be mature enough to make sure that we do the things necessary so when we get back we can just continue to move forward.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
STAR OF THE GAME
Javon Bennett led Dayton with a season-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He made a career-high five 3-pointers on eight attempts. He also had nine assists and no turnovers. Dayton committed only two turnovers, its lowest total since at least the 2011-12 season.
STAT OF THE GAME
Dayton became the 32nd team to make 18 or more 3-pointers in a game this season. Bennett made 5 of 8. Koby Brea made 5 of 8, raising his season 3-point shooting percentage to 52.9 (36 of 68). Among players who attempt at least 2.5 3s per game, Brea ranks first in accuracy.
LOOKING AHEAD
Dayton plays Longwood (12-2) on Dec. 30 at UD Arena in its final non-conference game. Longwood lost 79-70 at North Carolina Central on Wednesday, ending a 12-game winning streak.
Next Game
Saturday, Dec. 30
Longwood at Dayton, 2 p.m., Spectrum News 1
Credit: David Jablonski
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