A typical game for DaRon Holmes II — 23 points, 11 rebounds. (Press Pros Pros File Photos)
The basketball season came to a crashing conclusion Saturday afternoon for the University of Dayton basketball team, a 78-68 second round loss in the NCAA tournament to the No. 2 seed Arizona as this time the Flyers could not quite extricate themselves from another 17-point deficit.
Salt Lake City, UT. — There were no more 17-point miracles left in the University of Dayton basketball team’s travel bags.
The glass slipper was left in shards Saturday afternoon against Arizona in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
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UD’s season came to an end in the Delta Center, a 78-68 defeat to the No. 2 seed Arizona.
It would have taken a near-perfect performance for the 25-8 Flyers to upend a team capable of finishing atop all this March Madness.
What were the Flyers up against? A team extremely deep in talent, a team that occupied No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for a few weeks early this season.
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UD was the 11th NCAA tournament team Arizona faced this year — Duke Michigan State, Colgate, Wisconsin, Alabama, Florida International, Colorado (twice), Washington State (twice), Oregon (twice)
Add Dayton to that formidable list and Arizona is 10-4 against a difficult work sheet.
“They have a really talented group. . .it’s not just Caleb Love,” said UD coach Anthony Grant. Love is a 6-foot-4 senior guard transfer from North Carolina. He entered the game averaging 18.1 points a game. He scored 19, 13 in the game’s first nine minutes.
Koby Brea hit five more three-pointers.
“They have some really talented guys and we wanted to make it hard for them,” said Grant. “They are one of the fastest teams in the country and they are terrific in transition and broken floors. They have size and they have skill.”
And they have the ticket to Los Angeles for an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen.
“It got away from us a few times early in the game,” Grant added. “You can’t give ‘em space. We did make it harder for them, made ‘em work for what they got. Some other guys were able to step up and make some big-time plays for them.”
With Arizona’s Love showing no love for the Flyers via 13 early points, the Wildcats constructed a 17-point lead, 37-20.
A 17-point deficit? Isn’t that where the Flyers always resurrect? Isn’t that where UD believes, “We have ‘em right where we want ‘em?”
Once again, the Flyers turned it on. They outscored Arizona 13-3 in the final four minutes to creep back within whispering distance, 40-33 at the half.
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During the spurt, Holmes connected on a pair of threes and deflected an Arizona pass to Enoch Cheeks and he finished with a thunderdome dunk.
Holmes hit two free throws and Koby Brea connected on his third three of the half to slice Arizona’s lead to 40-33 at intermission.
Holmes took 14 points with him to the dressing room and Brea nine.
It was a tough day for Nate Santos with one field goal.
And the Flyers continued their scramble-back early in the second half. Another three-pointer by bombardier Brea drew the Flyers to within three, 52-49, as both teams played at a frantic and frenetic pace.
Then the dream became a nightmare.
UD had grabbed Arizona’s rapt attention and the Wildcats went on an 14-2 breakaway that pushed them in front, 66-51, with 7 1/2 minutes left.
“We were right there and had we made some plays it would have been different down the stretch,” said Grant. “Then they went on a 14-2 run to open it back up at the seven-minute mark.
“Then we left some things on the table, we got some good looks, we got some free throws, but we were unable to make the plays and that’s basketball,” Grant added. “Sometimes it doesn’t go in your favor. That run for them gave them breathing room, made it comfortable for them.”
In the first round, the Flyers were down 17 to Nevada with 7 1/2 minutes left and pulled a magical miracle with a 24-4 finish to win, 63-60.
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This time they were only down 11, but Arizona was having nothing to do with any Dayton pulling another fast one.
A Holmes dunk drew Dayton to within 56-51 and it looked as if it might happen again. Then the negative stuff piled up.
With a chance for the Flyers to pull within three or even two with a three-pointer, Holmes was mugged and lost the ball, but there was no arrest. But when Arizona zipped to the other end a foul was called on the Flyers and Jaden Bradley made two free throws and it was 61-51.
Enoch Cheeks did his normal strong defensive work.
Bradley was a pain in the paint all afternoon, coming off the bench to score 12 points.
Javon Bennett committed a rare turnover and KJ Lewis scored. . .another guy who came off the bench and provided seven points.
Arizona’s bench offered aid with 23 points, while UD received only two from Bennett, who did not start but played 22 minutes..
Holmes did his normai deeds — 23 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
But he lapsed into a rare relapse late in the game that stopped any final heroics — a missed three, a turnover and a flagrant foul when he pushed Pellle Larsson and hit him in the face (inadvertently) while setting a screen.
When Larsson made one of two free throws Arizona was up 71-59 with 2 1/2 left.
Kobe Elvis contributed 13 points to the losing cause.
Although Holmes owns another year of eligibility, it is most likely he will declare for the NBA draft. And Grant is with him, stay or go.
“I am 100% behind whatever decision DaRon and his family makes,” said Grant. “That guy has been a joy to coach. I wish I could have him for another five years, another ten years.
“I get calls from NBA teams asking, ‘Is he as good a kid as it seems when you read about him and listen to him?’” added Grant. “Yeah, he is, man. He is about all the right stuff. He is all about team, all about hard work, all about character, all about caring for other people.
‘So, whatever is best for him,I’m on that train, sign me up, whatever is best for him.”
Instead of a train, Grant and the Flyers were flying back to Dayton, deprived of the Sweet Sixteen, but sour about nothing.
“I’m proud of our group, man,” said Grant. “This team just came together. In today’s era, for our guys to come together and sacrifice and understand that the sum is better than the part was something special.
“For all the experiences and all they went through, the success and adversity. . .I’m proud of the group because they fought their tails off.”
And the Flyers, like Elvis, left the building, but those tails were not tucked between their legs.
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