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Johnson vaults Flyers to overtime win

Senior’s acrobatic rebound helps Dayton hold off Fordham.

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 2:25 AM Sunday, February 12, 2012

NEW YORK — Chris Johnson tapped into every inch of his ample vertical leap to sky for a rebound, and he didn’t care what was waiting for him on his way back down.

Fordham had missed a shot that could have tied the basketball game, and the University of Dayton star somersaulted over a teammate, landed upside-down on the deck and was called for traveling with 3.5 seconds left.

“I knew when the shot was going up, and I knew the only way to win was to go for the board, and that’s what I did,” he said.

Johnson’s willingness to play so fearlessly was a big reason the Flyers purged a four-game losing streak. The Rams turned the ball over after that, allowing UD to escape with a 72-70 overtime win Saturday before a sellout crowd of 3,200 at noisy Rose Hill Gym.

Johnson finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, both season highs.

“Chris Johnson — an all-conference player out there today. We don’t win the game without him,” UD coach Archie Miller said.

Fordham coach Tom Pecora believes his young team can learn something from the 6-foot-6 senior.

“He plays with great energy,” Pecora said. “I showed clips of him to our guards about playing with that energy and explosiveness. Even though he traveled, that play has to be a ‘SportsCenter’ top-10 highlight.”

Trailing by four with 2:22 to go in regulation, the Flyers (15-9, 5-5 Atlantic 10) shaved the deficit to two on a Johnson put-back, then tied it on a Kevin Dillard drive with 19.3 seconds left.

Fordham called timeout with 13.6 seconds to go, but Devon McMillan’s leaner missed at the buzzer.

Luke Fabrizius gave UD a two-point lead in the OT by converting a 1-and-1 with 2:28 left. Josh Parker was hacked on a defensive rebound and made two foul shots at 1:01 for a four-point bulge.

The Rams (9-14, 2-8) scored on a pair of free throws, blocked a Dillard layup and had 20 seconds to plot a final fling.

But the Flyers produced another defensive stop. After Johnson’s acrobatic play, Fordham’s in-bounds pass was kicked away, and Parker picked up the loose ball and giddily dribbled out the clock as about 200 UD fans roared in delight.

Rams forward Chris Gaston scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half. He’s the only player in the league averaging a double-double (16.1 points and 10.2 rebounds). He finished with eight boards.

UD shooting guard Paul Williams still is slumping (2-for-8 from the field and 5-for-39 in his past five games), but Parker shook off his funk and scored 14 points, all of them after halftime.

“It’s amazing what happens when we have a second guy from the perimeter to score the ball (along with Dillard),” Miller said. “His play in the second half was terrific. ... I’m happy for our kids, most important of all. The guys who a losing streak weighs on the most are those who are struggling individually.”

But all is not well in Flyer Land. They started 1-for-15 from the field and fell behind by 11. They shot just 35 percent overall and were 8-for-31 on 3-pointers. In their past three games, they’re 17-of-73 from behind the arc (23.3 percent).

“Over our last three games from the 3,” Miller said, “we’ve been very inept. I don’t know whether that’s tired legs, whether that’s defense. But I’ll say this: Our zone offense created a lot of good looks for us, and we have to find a way to get back in rhythm because shooting goes in phases.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Next game:

Who: Charlotte (12-11, 4-6 Atlantic 10) at Dayton (15-9, 5-5)

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

TV: FS Ohio

Radio: WHIO-AM (1290), WHIO-FM (95.7)

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