As Dayton guard Javon Bennett’s final shot missed, Richmond players started waving the students onto the court, and they didn’t take long to get there. Meanwhile security guards in yellow jackets kept the throng of people away from the Dayton players and coaches as they went through the handshake line.
Richmond’s first regular-season victory against Dayton in 10 years was also Dayton’s first loss in more than two months. The Flyers (16-3, 6-1) fell two victories short of becoming the first team in school history to win every game in December and January, while the Spiders (15-5, 7-0) took over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
“Credit to Richmond,” Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II said. “We’ve just got to hit shots. I don’t think anything changes moving forward. We’re a great team. We still have a lot of confidence. We love each other. We love our fans. We love everybody who supports us.”
Here are three takeaways from Dayton’s 19th game:
1. The Flyers played their worst offensive half of the season: Dayton started the game on a 9-0 run in the first six minutes but scored just six points in the last 14 minutes of the first half and trailed 20-15 at halftime. It was Dayton’s lowest scoring half since Nov. 23, 2022, when it trailed Wisconsin 23-14 at halftime in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Richmond wasn’t much better. The teams combined to make 4 of 26 3-pointers in the first half. Dayton made 3 of 16. Richmond made 1 of 10.
“We couldn’t make shots really,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “That’s what it came down to. I thought we got some good looks. We got out of character at times offensively, rushing things.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
2. Foul trouble hurt Dayton: Entering the game, Dayton was averaging 12.9 fouls per game. That was the fifth-lowest number in the country. It committed a season-high 23 in this game, many in the final minute as it tried to chip away at Richmond’s lead, but fouling was a problem throughout the second half.
Holmes played only 7 minutes, 42 seconds in the second half because of foul trouble. He picked up his third foul at the 18:32 mark and left the game. Then he picked up his fourth foul at the 11:23 mark, less than a minute after returning to the game. He didn’t enter the game again until the 5:25 mark.
Holmes had nine points on 2-of-12 shooting, ending a four-game run of 20-point games.
“I’ve got to keep reminding myself there’s going to be games where I’m off,” Holmes said. “I’ve got to find other ways to impact the game. I tried to stay confident. My shots just weren’t falling. That happens to every player. Every player has off days. No player is perfect. My goal is to continue to play hard and trust my teammates.”
3. The Spiders proved they’re for real: Richmond is 7-0 in the A-10 for the first time ever. It has won 11 straight home games in a single season for the first time. It has the nation’s second-longest active winning streak (10 games).
The last time Richmond played a ranked team at home, it lost to No. 7 Dayton in 2020. Other than a victory against Dayton in the A-10 tournament in 2022, the Spiders had not beaten the Flyers since 2014.
“Terrific game for us,” Richmond coach Chris Mooney said. “We were tremendous defensively. Dayton is an elite defensive team. ... We’re thrilled with the win. A lot of credit goes to Dayton and coach Grant. Their sustained success allows for this kind of game atmosphere.”
STAR OF THE GAME
Richmond’s Jordan King scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. He made 5 of 14 field goals. After a quick 6-0 run by Dayton cut Richmond’s lead to 56-53 with 2:20 to play, King made a jump shot over Holmes to push the lead back to five points.
STAT OF THE GAME
Richmond outscored Dayton 30-18 in the paint and 23-14 at the foul line.
LOOKING AHEAD
Dayton plays George Washington at 7 p.m. Tuesday at UD Arena. GW lost 80-70 at home to La Salle on Saturday.
Dayton lost 76-69 at George Washington last season. GW ended a five-game losing streak in the series. Dayton won 80-54 in 2022, the last time GW visited UD Arena. Dayton has won 10 straight games in the series at UD Arena. George Washington hasn’t won in Dayton since 2005.
TUESDAY’S GAME
Dayton vs. George Washington, 7 p.m., Spectrum News 1, 95.7, 1290
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