DaRon Holmes II was mugged all night, but got loose for a couple of dunks. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie McMaken Wright)
If ever a team was dead and buried, it was the University of Dayton Friday night in UD Arena when they fell behind Virginia Commonwealth University, 26-9, in the first 10 minutes. But the Flyers impressed even their coach, Anthony Grant, by coming back to tie it and send it onto overtime, where point guard Kobe Elvis took over to lead the Flyers to a 91-86 victory.
Dayton, OH. — It was one they should preserve for posterity, a videotape they should keep within reach to show every University of Dayton basketball player for the next 50 years.
Hall of famer Hal McCoy writes UD Flyer basketball exclusively for Press Pros Magazine.com.
It shows heart, soul, guts and downright stubbornness, displays a basketball team that refused to lose under dire circumstances.
It shows a team down 17 points on its home court halfway through the first half.
Knapke Kitchens and Baths, of Versailles, proudly sponsors the Flyers on Press Pros.
It shows a team refusing to give up, refusing to pack it in and just play out the time. It shows a team refusing to lose and how to do it with style, grace, confidence, hustle, aggressiveness and, yes, a smidgen of arrogance.
It shows a team coming together, piece by piece, each contributing something as the University of Dayton Flyers scored a 91-86 victory in overtime over Virginia Commonweallth University in the noise chamber known as UD Arena.
Nate Santos scored 17 points in the first half.
It was so good, so stunning, that UD coach Anthony Grant unequivocally labeled it the best performance in his three decades of drawing up Xs and Os and calling timeouts.
VCU couldn’t miss in the first 10 minutes and rained three-points on the Flyers like tear drops falling on their heads. And it was 26-9 before UD broke a sweat.
But like a craftsman using a chisel against a cement wall, the Flyers chipped and chipped and chipped, scrambling to within 38-31 at intermission.
They kept within close proximity for much of the second half and sent it into overtime at 70-70.
And that’s when an unlikely subject took over, a guy playing out of position who has been mostly slump-ridden all season.
Wilson Health proudly sponsors the best in area sports coverage on Press Pros Magazine.com.
Kobe Elvis, playing point guard due to the absence of injured Javon Bennett, did not score in the first half. But in the overtime he scored nine of UD’s 21 points.
So he was a hero among a full pack of heroes that banded together to rescue this game that looked beyond salvaging.
Koby Brea’s three three-pointers in the second half kept UD afloat.
DaRon Holmes II endured his usual public mugging as the officials checked out the crowd. He scored 23 points, but only six field goals. They started whistling the fouls in the second half and Holmes made 11 of 14, including three in the last 10 seconds of overtime to keep the Flyers in front.
And he snagged 10 rebounds, his 11th double-double this season to lead the Atlantic-10.
Nate Santos produced 21, 17 in the first half to keep the Flyers from sinking into the Great Miami River.
Koby Brea scored 18, 4 of 7 from three and three came at decisive junctures of the second half. And Enoch Cheeks made it a starting five of double-figure scorers with 14.
It was a meaning-less game as far as the A-10. The 24-6 Flyers are 14-4 in the A-10 and already had clinched the No. 3 seed for the A-10 tournament.
But the Flyers wanted to finish the season perfect at home. . .and they did, 15-0. And they wanted to win for pride. VCU has been a stab wound — three straight wins over the Flyers on the UD Arena floor and seven wins over UD in their last 10 meetings.
The Arbogast family of dealerships is pleased to sponsor your favorite sports on Press Pros.
After the unconventional and inconceivable victory, UD coach Anthony Grant was near tears as he talk about his team.
“I’m in awe of our group,” he said. “This is a special group. What these guys have had to persevere through all year, the pride they’ve shown, the character they’ve shown, their ups and down, their good with the bad, the adversity and prosperity. . .and then to come out tonight against VCU, and I’ll take my hat off to them. They played outstanding.”
Enoch Cheeks provided defense and 15 points toward UD win..
They did and that’s another reason the Flyers were special. VCU had lost two straight, including a 10-point loss at home to Duquesne in their last game. But on this night they took 71 shots and made 32 and buried 18 threes on 42 attempts.
“To be down 17 and never waiver,” said Grant. “I have been doing this a long time and that is about as good of a performance as I’ve seen in my 30-plus years of coaching.
“So I’m in awe of our guys,” he added. “That was special. And it was a group effort. . .on the defensive effort and offensive effort, they found a way. And we were able to finish undefeated at home in front of the best fans in the country.”
Grant paused often during his post-game soliloquy, then came up with, “I’m almost speechless because that was a heck of a fight from our group tonight. That was special, that was so special.”
While Grant anointed the entire team with his highest praise, he singled out Kobe Elvis, a much-maligned player this season by fans and media for his inconsistent play heavily spiced with turnovers and missed layups.
Logan Services sponsors the best area sports stories on Press Pros Magazine.com.
But he took command of the overtime.
—VCU led, 74-73, but Elvis hit two free throws.
—VCU led, 80-77, but Elvis calmly and smoothly shook up the Rams with a game-tying three.
—With the game now tied, 80-80, Elvis plunged home another three to put UD Arena into the world’s largest scream chamber. It gave the Flyers an 83-80 lead with 40 seconds left.
Kobe Elvis took full command of the overtime with nine points.
—But Elvis was not done, not ready to leave the building. He hit two free throws with the calm of an accomplished pickpocket. The Flyers led, 85-80, with 21 seconds left and finally the Rams were de-horned.
“I’m so proud of him,” said Grant. “It hasn’t been easy for him, but he persevered. He was big, he was really big tonight. It was senior night and his mom and brother were in town. It was an emotional night.
“And from an offensive standpoint, it didn’t start off great for him (scoreless in the first half),” said Grant. “It speaks volumes for him to have the confidence of his teammates and trust. And, man, he showed up big-time.”
Elvis was as emotional as his coach after he did his dirty deeds to VCU.
“I was choked up and emotional about how much we’ve had to overcome,” said Elvis. “We were able to make history and be undefeated at home. I can’t be more grateful for my situation.”
His situation Friday was conquering hero with his nine overtime points.
“I’m extremely confident and the guys trusted me to take those big shots,” he said. “They were looking for me in transition.”
And now the 25th-ranked Flyers transition into tournament mode with a double bye into the quarterfinals of the A-10 tournament next week at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn as the No. 3 seed.
University of Dayton Basketball Cheerleaders
Allenbaugh Insurance, in Jackson Center, supports the UD Flyers on Press Pros Magazine.