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DAYTON — University of Dayton junior forward Norman Plummer may have been back for two weeks since starting the season on suspension, but his game didn't arrive until Saturday night.

Plummer scored a season-high 19 points to lead the Flyers to a 69-53 victory Saturday over scrappy Holy Cross (6-2). But before becoming a key contributor again, the Fairfield native had to reach back to his past.

"I talked to an old friend from home," said Plummer, meaning his AAU coach, Ozzie Davis. "He told me to stick with it. My teammates have my back. It was going to come back to me. It's a steady process.

"He said it didn't look like I was having fun. He told me, 'Just go out there and have fun.' "

Plummer and the rest of the Flyers had oodles of fun in the second half, turning a two-point deficit at intermission into a runaway win.

Sophomore forward Charles Little tallied a career-high 16 points — including three monster dunks — and the Flyers overcame a rocky start after guards Brian Roberts and Marcus Johnson were held out of the starting lineup for being late to a shoot-around Saturday.

"Obviously, Norman has been struggling a little bit," UD coach Brian Gregory said. "But we just talked to him about sticking with the things he knows he needs to do to be successful. He's kind of a blue-collar guy for us. And that's exactly how he scored."

Turning point

After surrendering an early nine-point lead and trailing by two at the half, UD committed four turnovers on its first four possessions of the second half before coming alive.

Plummer scored eight straight points for the Flyers, giving them a 38-32 lead.

Quote, unquote

Gregory on holding Roberts and Johnson out of the starting lineup: "Championship teams (are) accountable and responsible. One of the things we talk about is being on time. I was disappointed in them."

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