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December 2009
Flyers arrive in Albuquerque
The Dayton basketball team has reached Albuquerque for its showdown with New Mexico after a 4 1/2-hour charter flight, which included a fuel stop in Wichita.
Albuquerque is not a place for those who like lush landscapes. The city gets only about 10 inches of rain per year, and lately that figure has been closer to six inches annually. Like much of the southwest, green lawns are hard to find.
But it’s still beautiful. There are mountains in the distance with total sunshine. It’s surprisingly cold, though. The temperature is just 40 degrees, and it actually snowed this morning, although there’s not a trace of it left.
The Flyers (10-2) will meet the 19th-ranked Lobos (13-1) at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Day, and a victory for UD could go a long way toward positioning itself for an NCAA tournament berth.
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Flyers to face hot team in New Mexico
Dayton will face probably as good a team as it will all year in its next outing against New Mexico.
In a battle of ranked teams, the No. 19 Lobos beat No. 20 Texas Tech, 90-75, Tuesday night before 14,586 fans in the infamous Pit.
New Mexico is 13-1, losing only at Oral Roberts with wins over two other ranked teams in California and Texas A&M.
But the Flyers are coming away with some positive vibes following a 74-60 win over Boston University. They shot 52.9 percent from the floor, their second-best field-goal showing of the season.
Point guard Rob Lowery has not only fully recovered from a serious knee injury, but he looks to be even better than he was last season. His shot is more reliable, his defense more disruptive.
Mickey Perry and Marcus Johnson were a combined 2-for-12 from the field — Johnson is in the throes of the worst slump of his career — but the Flyers are so deep that they can easily compensate for some struggling regulars.
I still don’t think UD will reach its full potential unless Johnson — a preseason second-team All-Atlantic 10 pick — recovers his form, but the Flyers have to feel good about the rest of their backcourt personnel even if he doesn’t shake his funk.
I like the Flyers’ chances in Albuquerque. I’d like them better if they had all their horses, and it doesn’t seem as if 3-point artist Luke Fabrizius is going to be ready. But they’ll have a good showing. I’m confident of that. And while UD will be playing as good a foe as it’s faced all season, the same could be said for New Mexico.
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Wright puts on dunking display
Chris Wright knows he has one job after he sees his team is caressing a defensive rebound: run like the wind.
“When I’m going, I feel nobody can stick with me — especially if I’m going full speed,” said Wright, who had some stunning transition dunks among his 19 points in a 74-60 win over Boston University on Tuesday. “The PG’s (point guards) were doing a good job of getting me the ball. I haven’t been working on my conditioning for nothing. I’ve got to go.”
The Flyers had a lot of get-up-and-go against the Terriers in the first eight minutes, bolting to a 17-2 lead. BU made 5-of-7 threes to start the second half to cut the deficit to 54-50, but Wright scored six straight points — including an ally-oop slam on a half-court pass from London Warren — to end the drama.
The PG’s, as Wright calls them, led the way. Warren had nine assists, two steals and just one turnover in 25 minutes, while back-up Rob Lowery had a career-high 23 points, going 7-of-9 on threes, in 23 minutes.
“One guy has 23 points and one guy has nine assists — that’s pretty good production out of that position,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “Defensively I thought (Warren) was really, really good. He may not have been as good early in the year, but he’s playing better.”
The Flyers held their fifth straight foe under 40-percent shooting from the field. The Terriers shot 38.9 percent, and junior forward John Holland, who leads the American East Conference in scoring with a 19.4 average, was held to nine points. He went 0-for-8 on threes.
“Our defense at times today was as good as it’s been all year long,” Gregory said.
The Flyers will need to buckle down on defense against No. 18 New Mexico on Friday — especially since they’ll be playing shorthanded. Gregory said long-ball artist Luke Fabrizius (sprained knee) likely won’t return until next week.
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Dayton drops Boston University, 74-60
Rob Lowery scored a career-high 23 points — including seven 3-pointers — to lead Dayton to a 74-60 win over Boston University on Tuesday.
Chris Wright had 19 points and eight rebounds, Chris Johnson 12 points and London Warren nine assists for the Flyers (10-2), who captured their 500th victory in 40 seasons at UD Arena.
BU (5-7) fell behind, 17-2, but managed to cut the deficit to 54-50 with 14:28 to go. The Flyers, though, pulled away down the stretch for their eighth straight win.
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Dayton’s game sold out
Dayton’s game with Boston University tonight is a sellout — the third one of the season.
The Flyers also will be playing before capacity crowds against Duquesne on Jan. 9 and Xavier on Feb. 6. They had three sellouts last season and five the year before that.
The program record is eight in 1969-70, the opening season at UD Arena.
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Flyers could get two back for Boston U.
University of Dayton coach Brian Gregory said today that senior guard Marcus Johnson (sprained foot) probably will play against Boston University on Tuesday and that sophomore star Chris Johnson (concussion) also might see action.
Both players were injured against Presbyterian College on Dec. 19. The Flyers won that game by 19 and beat Appalachian State, 61-45, on Dec. 21 without those two and sophomore forward Luke Fabrizius. Gregory is hopeful to have Fabrizius, the team’s 3-point ace, back next week.
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UD creeps closer to Top 25
UD checks in at No. 28 in this week’s AP college basketball rankings.
The Flyers play two games this week — Tuesday vs. Boston University and Friday at New Mexico. A win on New Year’s Night in New Mexico’s vaunted Pit could nudge UD back into the rankings.
The Lobos check in at No. 19 this week.
Temple is the only Atlantic 10 team in the rankings, at No. 18. Rhode Island received five votes.
In this week’s AP women’s poll, UD is No. 28, in receiving votes, same as the men.
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ men’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 27, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking: Record Pts Pvs 1. Kansas (52) 11-0 1,607 1 2. Texas (11) 11-0 1,556 2 3. Kentucky (1) 13-0 1,476 3 4. Purdue 11-0 1,407 4 5. Syracuse (1) 12-0 1,398 5 6. West Virginia 10-0 1,309 6 7. Duke 9-1 1,241 7 8. Villanova 11-1 1,177 8 9. North Carolina 9-3 1,033 10 10. Connecticut 9-2 1,002 11 11. Michigan St. 9-3 910 9 12. Kansas St. 11-1 892 12 13. Georgetown 9-1 813 14 14. Tennessee 9-2 664 16 15. Ohio St. 10-2 605 17 16. Mississippi 10-2 544 15 17. Washington 9-2 490 22 18. Temple 9-2 403 21 19. New Mexico 12-1 352 13 20. Texas Tech 10-1 334 23 21. Clemson 11-2 300 24 22. Florida St. 11-2 252 — 23. Wisconsin 10-2 180 — 24. UAB 11-1 178 — 25. Northwestern 10-1 144 — Others receiving votes: Gonzaga 129, Georgia Tech 102, Dayton 94, Texas A&M 91, Florida 76, Miami 60, BYU 55, Oklahoma St. 37, Wichita St. 35, Southern Cal 27, UNLV 26, Butler 19, Memphis 16, Mississippi St. 13, Wake Forest 12, St. John’s 10, Baylor 7, California 7, Cincinnati 7, Virginia Tech 7, Cornell 5, Missouri St. 5, N. Iowa 5, Rhode Island 5, William & Mary 5, Seton Hall 2, Army 1.
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Flyers unlikely to be at full strength against BU
DAYTON — The media are going to get a chance to ask Dayton coach Brian Gregory for injury updates on three sidelined standouts Monday afternoon, but Marcus Johnson practiced Sunday and may be able to see action against Boston University on Tuesday, while Chris Johnson and Luke Fabrizius sat out practice and would seem at this point to be considered doubtful against BU.
Marcus Johnson is coming off a sprained foot, while Chris Johnson has a concussion and Fabrizius a sprained knee. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Flyers take a cautious approach with the latter two and not have them play until next week at the earliest.
That would mean CJ and Fabrizius would miss a big game against New Mexico on New Year’s Day, but my guess is the Flyers will be ultra-careful not to rush them back and instead shoot for having their full rotation completely healthy going into Atlantic 10 play Jan. 9.
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Short-handed Flyers impressive in win
Paul Williams, who had been averaging 23 minutes per game, played 33. Chris Wright, who had been logging 27, tacked on an extra four. And Mickey Perry, an 18-minute guy, was on the floor for 30.
Dayton was down to eight players from its customary 11 because of injuries, and Williams, for one, wasn’t thrilled about being needed so much — for good reason.
“I don’t like it because my teammates weren’t there,” he said. “I want them back as quick as possible so we can all be out there competing.”
UD fans certainly would say “Amen” to that.
The Flyers pulled out a 65-49 win over Appalachian State, and it was one of their better showings of the season. With senior point guard London Warren dogged by foul trouble, they were often down to just seven players against a foe who could do some damage in the Southern Conference this season.
They prevailed despite having to do battle without three of their top four scorers — Chris Johnson (concussion), Marcus Johnson (sprained foot) and Luke Fabrizius (sprained knee).
With the Flyers getting four days off for Christmas break, I’ve seen a lot of promising signs about this team.
After shooting just 38.5 percent from the field and 58.3 from the foul line last season, senior center Kurt Huelsman is flashing more confidence than he ever has before. He had eight points against the Mountaineers, making 4-of-6 shots.
He’s shooting 59.4 percent from the field and 78.6 from the foul line.
Devin Searcy, another 6-10 post, gives the Flyers a solid duo on the blocks.
Huelsman, in fact, has been playing with a strained calf. The medical staff said he can’t hurt it any more by playing, and that he just has to tape it up and endure the pain.
But he’s done more than just persevere, which is why coach Brian Gregory, a staunch Huelsman supporter, said, “If anybody questions him, they have to go through me.”
I also liked how Perry, Williams and Josh Benson didn’t cower over getting primary roles because of the injury situation. They played confidently. And Appalachian State was good enough to have left UD Arena with a win if that trio didn’t stand up to the challenge.
The Flyers probably will still be short-handed for the Boston University game Dec. 29. There’s a chance they could have everybody back for the Jan. 1 showdown with undefeated New Mexico in Albuquerque.
But this was a solid win by a team that’s starting to mesh well together. And the only thing Williams and others in the program want for Christmas is for those injured players to be quick healers.
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Flyers win seventh in a row
(Blog by Doug Harris)
Mickey Perry scored 15 points, Chris Wright 14 and Paul Williams 10 as the University of Dayton beat Appalachian State 65-49 in men’s basketball Monday, Dec. 21.
The Flyers improved to 9-2 with their seventh straight win. Appalachian State is 7-5.
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Flyers turn it on in second half
Although they may have been guilty of having some mental lapses against Presbyterian College in a 72-52 win, Dayton players did have one hustle play in particular that showed they weren’t taking the unheralded visitors lightly.
Rob Lowery poked the dribble away from his man midway through the second half, dived for the loose ball and swatted it toward the opposite end. As the ball was rolling along the sideline, UD coach Brian Gregory saw Chris Wright sprint toward it and ran along with his junior forward.
Both of them met at the baseline, and while Wright didn’t get there in time, it was the kind of energy spurt the Flyers displayed most of the final 20 minutes.
UD was winning just 46-41 with 14 minutes to go but then held the Blue Hose scoreless over the next seven minutes while racking up 17 points in a row.
“We didn’t play very well the first half, didn’t defend the way we’re capable of defending, and they made some shots,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “They’re a good team. They play a lot of good players. People talk about who you’re playing and all these different things, but it’s who plays better during those 40 minutes.
“The records aren’t that important, and who you have isn’t that important. There’s too many good players out there. You see it every day in college basketball. I was pleased our guys bounced back. We played a very good second half defensively.”
The Flyers (8-2) won their sixth straight game behind strong performances from Wright (15 points and eight rebounds), Mickey Perry (15 points), Josh Benson (10 points and seven rebounds) and Kurt Huelsman (eight points).
Presbyterian, which started five freshmen, put four players in double figures.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our team,” Presbyterian coach Gregg Nibert said. “Dayton is awesome. They’ve got a heckuva driving team. Obviously, Chris Wright is awesome. We played them pretty good the first half. But they just killed us on drives and rebounds.
“Brian does a great job. They manhandled us on the boards in the second half, and that probably was the difference in the game.”
UD had a 20-15 rebounding edge in the first half and a 26-11 advantage in the second half.
The Blue Hose (2-10) have played at Clemson, Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio State. Asked if he would put UD in that class of teams, Nibert said: “There’s no question, man. These guys are good. But we’ve gotten better. … Don’t think we don’t have a good team, too.”
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Two starters expected to miss UD’s game Monday
Dayton started London Warren, Chris Wright, Kurt Huelsman, Paul Williams and Mickey Perry for the second half against Presbyterian College tonight, and that’s a lineup that probably will see the floor for the opening tap against Appalachian State on Monday — and maybe beyond that.
Senior guard Marcus Johnson, the team’s third-leading scorer, took a hard fall with 9:51 to go in the first half after trying to stop a break-away lay-up. He suffered a sprained left ankle and was scheduled to get X-rays tonight.
Chris johnson, the team’s top rebounder and second-leading scorer, took a shot to chops after running into a backcourt pick set by Presbyterian’s Jake Troyli less than two minutes into the game.
Johnson was knocked backward and stayed on the floor for a couple of minutes before staggering to the bench. He appears to have suffered a concussion.
“It’s too early to tell, but I would assume you wouldn’t see them until we get back from (Christmas) break,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “(Chris) took a blow to the face. The ref assured me it was legal. I didn’t really see it. But right now, the preliminary report is that he has a concussion. With that, he would not play on Monday, obviously.”
After facing Appalachian State (7-4), the Flyers host Boston University (which has a win over Indiana) on Dec. 29 and plays at nationally ranked New Mexico on Jan. 1.
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Flyers win, but two injured
Chris Wright had 15 points and eight rebounds and Mickey Perry added 15 points as Dayton pulled away in the second half for a 71-52 victory over Presbyterian tonight.
The win may have been costly, though.
Chris Johnson and Marcus Johnson were both injured in the first half and didn’t return.
Chris Johnson, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, took a blow to the face about two minutes into the game. Marcus Johnson, the Flyers’ third-leading scorer, suffered a sprained right ankle.
The Flyers (8-2) led by just one at halftime but had a 17-0 run midway through the second half to pull away from the Blue Hose (2-10).
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Two players injured in UD game
Chris Johnson and Marcus Johnson were both injured in the first half of Dayton’s game against Presbyterian and aren’t expected to return.
Chris Johnson, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, took a blow to the face about two minutes into the game and has left the bench area.
Marcus Johnson, the Flyers’ third-leading scorer, suffered a sprained right ankle and is watching from the bench with his shoe off and his ankle taped.
The Flyers led by just one at halftime, built a 10-point lead early in the second half, only to have Presbyterian cut it to five with 15 minutes to go.
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Flyers show holiday spirit with kids
University of Dayton basketball players helped out with a Thanksgiving day meal at the Convention Center last month, and they’re doing some community service during the Christmas season.
They helped out at a day-care center at a church on Salem Ave., giving out gifts and interacting with the kids.
“This is a special time of year, and you can look at all the blessings you received,” coach Brian Gregory said. “Our guys understand that. They know how fortunate they are. And to spread a little Christmas cheer and act as role models … this is the time of year you’re supposed to give back.”
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Throwback jerseys to be worn against Presbyterian
Dayton will be wearing throwback jerseys from the 1969-70 season in its game against Presbyterian College (2-9) on Saturday.
The ‘69-70 season was the first at UD arena, and it was a great year for the Flyers. They finished 19-8 and played in the NCAA tournament. George Jackson led the team in rebounding with a 14.5 mark (can you imagine having someone like that today?), and Ken May was the scoring leader with a 17.0 average.
Here’s another little tidbit: UD was fifth nationally in attendance that year, drawing 12,982 per game. Other big arenas have been built since then, and the popularity of college basketball has grown. UD averaged 12,765 fans last season and ranked 27th nationally.
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A-10’s early success not going unnoticed
The Atlantic 10 is the fifth-ranked conference in the nation, according to the RPI computer ratings, and is racking up quality wins.
The play of the league hasn’t gone unnoticed by Dick Vitale, who gave the A-10 some recognition in a column at ESPN.com.
UD coach Brian Gregory said today: “We’re a three- or four-bid league (in the NCAA tournament). You look at other conferences, maybe some of the BCS conferences being down a little bit, and there’s no question that we are. We just have to finish the next month out strong — and then start beating the crap out of each other (in league play).
“Our constituency, our fans, are starting to understand the kind of quality teams we have — not just Temple and Xavier, but Rhode Island and St. Joe’s and Richmond and Duquesne and Charlotte and Saint Louis. It’s a monster.”
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Fabrizius out 2-4 weeks
Dayton sophomore forward Luke Fabrizius has a moderate sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and is expected to be out two to four weeks, UD trainer Nate Seymour said today.
The Flyers are hoping to have the 3-point ace back in early January, which means he’d miss games against Presbyterian College, Appalachian State, Boston University and New Mexico and possibly Ball State. UD begins Atlantic 10 play against Duquesne on Jan. 9.
Fabrizius is the Flyers’ fourth-leading scorer with a 7.2 average and top 3-point shooter, making 20-of-44 attempts.
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Post duo coming through for Flyers
Kurt Searcy had a good night for the University Dayton, and Devin Huelsman did, too.
OK, their names actually are Kurt Huelsman and Devin Searcy, but the two 6-foot-10 centers have become so interchangeable while taking ownership of the post position for the Flyers that they no longer seem to have separate identities on the court.
They went into a game with Old Dominion on Friday averaging a combined 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in their last four outings and teamed up for eight points and three rebounds in the 58-50 win.
Huelsman had a driving — yes, driving — left-handed lay-up that broke a 42-all tie with 7:50 to go. He may have gotten away with a walk, but the big fella showed some impressive agility.
More importantly, the Huelsman-Searcy duo kept the Monarch’s 6-10 star Gerald Lee from dominating. The preseason Colonial Athletic Association co-player of the year had to work for everything and finished with a modest 15 points and four rebounds.
The Flyers (7-2) notched another quality win. The Monarchs (6-4) returned their top six scorers from a team that finished 25-10 last season, and they look like an NCAA tournament-caliber team.
But then, so do the Flyers. Yes, they are a team still with some flaws — offensive inconsistency comes to mind — but they’re a tough team to beat when they have all their parts.
That’s why it’s important Luke Fabrizius isn’t out for an extended period. The initial prognosis on his knee injury is 2-3 weeks. The Flyers can’t afford to be without their 3-point bomber for an extended stretch.
“I love teams that know who they are and know how they have to win and, everyday, just go out and do it. And that’s exactly what Old Dominion does,” UD coach Brian Gregory said.
“They were in the same situation were — they lost a close game to Missouri, a close game to Mississippi State and on the road at Richmond — and now they have to come and play us at our place. They were put in a tough situation, and that team fought the whole way.
“I’m just pleased with our win. It was one you had to ‘tough out’ for 40 minutes. You had to play the entire game. Every single posssession was important, so your focus had to be great. It was the best 40 minutes we played all year.”
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Flyers pull away for victory
Dayton pulled away down the stretch for a 58-50 victory over Old Dominion before 13,159 fans tonight.
Chris Wright had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Marcus Johnson added 12 points for the Flyers (7-2).
Old Dominion (6-4), the preseason Colonial Athletic Conference favorite, gave UD a tough time. The Flyers led by just one with 3:51 to go. But Wright scored on a dunk and Johnson made a 3-pointer for a 54-48 lead with 2:32 left.
Luke Fabrizius, the Flyers’ long-range bomber, injured his right knee just five minutes into the game and watched the rest of the action on crutches.
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Fabrizius injured, knocked out of game
Luke Fabrizius, Dayton’s 3-point ace, suffered a sprained right knee with 15 minutes left in the first half against Old Dominion and is out for the rest of the game. He returned to the bench with an ice pack on his knee.
Fabrizius was hurt when teammate Paul Williams fell into him under the basket after taking a charge on Old Dominion’s Frank Hassell.
The 6-9 sophomore is the Flyers’ fourth-leading scorer (8.1 points per game) and has made 20-of-44 three-pointers.
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Chris Johnson impressing coaches
Chris Johnson, Dayton’s sophomore star, suffered a bruised calf last season and treated it delicately for several games.
This year, he banged knees with a teammate in practice and was extremely sore afterward. But when it came time to play against George Mason, Johnson performed as if he were 100 percent fit.
“When he had that injury with his calf last year, he responded like a typical freshman,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “When you’re in high school and injured a little bit, you can still go half-speed and be successful. At this level, you can’t do that.
“Last year, he felt he wasn’t completely healthy and played a little more casual. That was a big question we talked about with him the day before the George Mason game. If he was going to be able to play, he had to play with the same intensity.”
Johnson certainly did that. He had a team-high 14 points to lead the Flyers to a 56-55 road win.
The 6-foot-6 wing has become UD’s most valuable player, leading the team in both scoring (14.5) and rebounding (7.0). And there were several NBA scouts at the George Mason game, and a source said at least one was very impressed with Johnson’s athleticism, shooting ability and toughness.
Gregory marveled at the difference in Johnson’s overall maturity from last season to this year.
Said the coach admiringly: “He’s concerned with three things — playing extremely hard, getting better every day and doing whatever is asked of him to help the team be successful. That’s the agenda. That’s what it’s all about. And that’s why he’s being successful.”
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Warren celebrates 22nd birthday in style
FAIRFAX, Va. — Dayton’s London Warren turned 22 today, and he made sure he stayed undefeated on his birthday, at least as far as he can remember.
The Flyers held on for a 56-55 victory against George Mason — they also beat Louisville two years ago on Warren’s special day — and the senior point guard had a key play to stall the home team’s comeback.
The Patriots had the ball while down three with under two minutes to go, but Warren made a steal and went coast-to-coast for a lay-up (his first basket) with 1:50 left.
He also made the front end of a one-and-one with 42 seconds left to give UD a 52-46 edge After that, the Patriots never had the ball with a chance to take the lead.
But Warren, like his teammates, was disturbed the Flyers gave up the 18-point lead they built early in the second half.
UD put the Patriots in the bonus with 13:24 to go, and the home team climbed back by making 9-of-12 foul shots in the second half and 16-of-20 overall.
“We made big plays at the end of the game, but we were fouling too much when we were guarding the ball,” Warren said.
George Mason shot 27 percent (6-of-22) in the first half, but 50 percent (12-of-24) after intermission.
“I thought in the first half, we played extremely well,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “We did not play as well in the second half. Give them credit. We made the plays down the stretch you need to make, but that’s not the way you like it to end.”
• The more I go on the road with Dayton, the more I’m impressed with UD fans. George Mason reached the 2006 Final Four and has made four NCAA trips and three NIT appearances since 1999 — in other words, the Patriots’ recent tradition is similar to UD’s.
But in fan support, George Mason can’t compare. A rowdy student section showed up at the Patriot Center — much like the Flyers’ Red Scare in size and decibel levels — but there were huge swaths of empty seats in prime locations. That would never happen at UD.
The final attendance was 5,727.
• The Flyers went four minutes without scoring in the first half, but their lead only dwindled from 24-15 to 24-17 because of some nasty defense.
The Patriots hit just five of their first 19 shots (0-for-6 from 3-point country) because the Flyers, as coach Norman Dale of Hickory High would say, were close enough to tell what flavor of gum they were chewing.
• Several NBA scouts were in attendance, and a source said they really like UD sophomore Chris Johnson, who’s long, athletic and can shoot the 3.
They were there in part to scout junior Chris Wright, who had some foul trouble and finished with two points, three rebounds, two steals and two turnovers in 19 minutes.
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Flyers pull out victory at George Mason
FAIRFAX, Va. — Dayton built an 18-point lead and held on for a 56-55 win at George Mason tonight.
Chris Johnson, who didn’t start because of a sore knee, came off the bench to tally a team-high 14 points. No other Flyer scored in double figures.
Johnson made two free throws with 7.2 seconds left for a four-point lead, and George Mason’s Sherrod Wright hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin.
UD is 6-2, GM 4-5.
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Williams to start for Johnson against Patriots
FAIRFAX, Va. — Paul Williams will replace Chris Williams in Dayton’s starting lineup tonight against George Mason.
Johnson has a knee injury and is considered questionable for the game. The sophomore star — who is the team’s top rebounder and second-leading scorer — banged knees with Williams in practice Sunday and has experienced soreness since then.
Williams, a sophomore guard, is sixth on the team in scoring with a 6.7 average and is third in 3-pointers made with eight.
Johnson averages 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds.
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Flyers’ star sophomore ‘questionable’
FAIRFAX, Va. — Dayton coach Brian Gregory said Chris Johnson, the standout sophomore wing for the Flyers, is questionable for the George Mason game tonight because of a knee injury, although Johnson said he was feeling better today.
Johnson collided with Paul Williams in practice Sunday and bruised and hyper-extended his knee.
The Flyers’ second-leading scorer and top rebounder went through drills at the Patriot Center this afternoon with no signs of a limp. After the standard game-day shoot-around, Johnson said, “I’m all right. I’ll be ready.”
Rob Lowery, the senior point guard who made his return from a knee injury against Lehigh on Saturday, was told by the UD medical staff that he could play up to 10 minutes against the Patriots. Lowery played just eight minutes against Lehigh, and the Flyers are bringing him along at a gradual pace. He had been out nearly 10 months with a torn patellar tendon.
George Mason is only 4-4 but has been nearly unbeatable in the Patriot Center, going 29-1 the last three seasons.
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Flyer fans glad to have point guard back
When Rob Lowery moved from the end of the bench to a seat near the coaches, the crowd applauded. When the Dayton senior point guard entered the game with 12:49 to go in the first half, the fans stood and roared their approval.
Lowery got a quick chest bump from the man he replaced, London Warren, and then drew another ovation when he and teammate Chris Wright trapped Lehigh guard Prentice Small and forced a desperation timeout two seconds later.
“As a team, we always talk about the Flyer Faithful and just how faithful they are,” Lowery said after UD’s 89-71 win today. “They really, really, really care about you — no matter who it is. And I really appreciate it.”
The Flyers certainly appreciate having Lowery back. He gives them something they don’t have: a guard who can penetrate and create his own shot. He’s also a cut-up on the team and a leader by the sheer force of his personality.
I think the Flyers would have fared better in Puerto Rico if they had Lowery in the fold. He gives them a swagger and probably could have hit some outside shots when others were slumping.
• The biggest basket for UD against Lehigh may have been the one Chris Wright made just three minutes into the game. The junior star pulled up for a 10-footer and hit nothing but twine.
That’s the shot he needs to maximize his potential. Too often for Wright, it’s either a catch-and-shoot jumper or a hellbent drive to the basket. If he can develop that mid-range game, he could play at the next level and cause serious migraines for UD opponents in the interim.
• Looks like coach Brian Gregory is settling on an 11-man rotation. Redshirt freshman Josh Benson has nosed ahead of true freshman Matt Kavanaugh for spot duty in the post. Although he sat out last year with a shoulder injury, Benson has benefitted from that extra year in the program.
Kavanaugh is going to be a good one for the Flyers, and he may be needed in a pinch this season. But Benson appears to have an edge right now.
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Flyers coast to easy win over Lehigh
DAYTON — Chris Wright had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Dayton to an 89-71 win over Lehigh before 12,719 fans at UD Arena today.
Devin Searcy had a career-high 13 points, while Chris Johnson had 13 points and seven rebounds.
Senior point guard Rob Lowery, making his first appearance since injuring his knee against Xavier on Feb. 11, had eight points and three assists.
The Flyers (5-2) led by as many as 27 in the second half. Lehigh (3-5) played without forward Zahir Carrington, a preseason All-Patriot League pick who is out with a knee injury.
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Ex-UD great Colbert dies
Former University of Dayton basketball great Dave Colbert, who had a history of heart issues, died unexpectedly Friday. He was 47.
Colbert was head basketball coach at his alma mater, John Marshall High School in Cleveland.
The 6-foot-8 forward played two seasons at UD in 1984-85 and ‘85-86 after transferring from Cleveland State. He was MVP both seasons, averaging 16.7 points as a junior and 18.8 as a senior. The Flyers reached the NCAA tournament in ‘85, losing to eventual champion Villanova, 51-49, at UD Arena in the first round, and also played in the NIT in ‘86.
He’s one of 41 1,000-point scorers in UD history.
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Wright knows rebounding must improve
OXFORD — Even while falling behind, the Dayton Flyers were playing some sound defense at Miami, but they were burned repeatedly by giving up offensive rebounds — six in the first half and 11 for the game.
“Me, personally, on the defensive end, I’ve got to get some rebounds,” junior forward Chris Wright said. “They were crashing the boards with four guys, sometimes five. We’ve got to do a better job defensive rebounding. Usually, a team makes 80 percent of its second-chance shots.”
Wright had a team-high 14 points but just two rebounds. Despite a size advantage, the Flyers ended up with only a 30-29 edge on the boards.
“We have to do a better job,” UD coach Brian Gregory said.
“The reason they’re so good is every time you make a mistake, they take advantage of it. They’re so well-coached it’s scary.”
Wright was grateful for the clutch foul-shooting of seniors London Warren and Marcus Johnson, each of whom made a pair in the final 31.3 seconds.
“Those guys have big hearts,” Wright said. “You have to step to the line with a free mind in that situation. Those were huge.”
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Flyers overcome big deficit again
OXFORD — Dayton has developed a pattern of falling behind by sizeable margins, but coach Brian Gregory wasn’t panicking when Miami jumped to a 12-point first-half lead.
“It was early. I wasn’t too worried about it. I liked the pace of the game. I liked our offensive movement,” Gregory said.
The Flyers have trailed significantly in every game this year — by 10 against Creighton, 18 vs. Villanova, 15 against Kansas State, seven against Georgia Tech and 18 against Towson — but they caught up with Miami by the end of the first half and held on for a 64-59 win.
“We were playing tough D,” point guard London Warren said. “We wanted to give them 40 minutes of pressure. They were just making some shots. We weren’t worried.”
The RedHawks were shooting 72 percent from the foul line going into the game but started 1-for-9, making their first and missing eight straight. They finished the first half 2-for-10.
That sorry display helped UD dig out of the hole. Miami ended up 13-of-23 from the foul line, UD 15-of-22.
Clinging to a three-point lead, the Flyers forced a turnover with 45 seconds to go in the game. Chris Johnson picked up the loose ball and tried to go the distance for lay-up.
Rodney Haddix made a tremendous block, though, and the RedHawks cut the deficit to one with 34 seconds to go.
Johnson chastised himself afterward for not backing off in that situation.
“I should be smarter,” he said.
But Gregory protected his player, saying: “That’s my fault. I should have called timeout.”
A lay-up may have been a surer bet than putting a UD player at the free-throw line, but Gregory said: “You can’t do that (go to the basket). You have to dribble that thing out.”
The Flyers have won four straight against Miami for the first time since winning five in a row from 1978-80.
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Dayton pulls out win at Miami
OXFORD — Chris Wright scored 14 points and Chris Johnson had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Dayton to a 65-58 win at Miami tonight.
The Flyers (4-2) trailed by 12 in the first half but built an eight-point second half lead and then held on.
Miami (2-5) cut the deficit to 59-58 with 34 seconds to go on two free throws by Antonio Ballard, but Dayton’s London Warren converted a 1-and-1, and after a UD defensive stop, Marcus Johnson made a pair of foul shots with 11.6 seconds to go.
Rodney Haddix had 15 points and Kenny Hayes 13 for the RedHawks.
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Flyers need seniors to step up against Miami
Marcus Johnson is just four points shy of 1,000 for his career, but the senior guard probably will need to blow past that nice round number tonight if Dayton is going to win at Miami.
The Flyers are 3-point favorites, but they’re still trying to fit the pieces together for this season. Or, as coach Brian Gregory says, they’re still in the “discovery stage.”
The seniors — particularly Johnson and point guard London Warren — aren’t playing as well as they’re capable of playing. Actually, if not for the sophomore trio of Chris Johnson, Luke Fabrizius and Paul Williams, the Flyers probably wouldn’t be 3-2 with a win over a Top-25 team in Georgia Tech. But I don’t see them returning to the NCAA tournament if the sophs have to continue to carry the load.
What the Flyers need is a healthy Rob Lowery. The senior point guard, who has been out for nearly 10 months with a knee injury, practiced with the team in full-scale drills and looked like the Lowery of old. On Tuesday, he once broke down the defense with his dribble, made a move in the lane and lifted a soft 10-footer that dropped in the net. UD doesn’t have another player like him.
Remember, the Flyers were 22-3 with him last season and 5-5 without him. Counting this year’s games, they’re just 8-7 during his absence. He has been missed.
He’s not expected to play against the RedHawks but could see action against Lehigh at 2 p.m. Saturday.
