Enoch Cheeks made a big three to keep the Flyers in front in the late going. (Press Pros File Photos)
After leading by 21 points, 56-35, early in the second half, the University of Dayton couldn’t hold off onrushing North Carolina as the Tar Heels scored 58 second-half points and recorded their second biggest comeback in school history to beat the Flyers, 92-90 in the first round of the Maui Invitational.
Lahaini HI — For those who punched off their TV sets and went to bed when the Dayton Flyers led North Carolina by 18 at halftime, well. . .
Hall of famer Hal McCoy writes UD Flyer basketball exclusively for Press Pros Magazine.com.
And for those who punched off their TV sets and went to bed early in the second half when the Flyers led the Tar Heels by 21, well. . .
Be advised. . .UD lost, 92-90, victims of the second biggest comeback in the history of North Carolina basketball in the first round of the Maui Invitational.
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The Flyers were practically perfect in all facets in constructing a 56-35 lead with 17:45 left in the game.
Then it was if somebody turned the ‘off’ switch on the UD offense. From that point, the 10th-ranked Tar Heels blew by the Flyers, 58-34.
In losing for the first time after opening the season with five wins, the Flyers needed whirling lariats to lasso a pair of Tar Heels — 30 points from R.J. Davis and 26 from Seth Trimble.
And the Flyers encountered some misfortune in the game’s dying moment, a moment in which UD’s Nate Santo wishes he wore size 13 sneakers instead of size 14.
Nate Santos hit what appeared to be a game-tying ‘3’, after the officials checked the monitor it clearly showed Santos’ shoe touched the line and the basket was ruled a ‘2.’ 90-89 with six seconds left in the game.
With the Flyers down three, Santos hit what appeared to be a game-tying ‘3’ from the left side to make it 90-90 with six seconds left.
But the officials checked the monitor and it clearly showed that the toe of Santos’ shoe touched the line and the basket was ruled a ‘2.’
So instead of a tie, the Flyers trailed by one and were forced to foul, a deadly formula against UNC, a team that shoots 80% from the foul line.
And it put their best free throw shooter, Davis, on the line and he buried both to put UNC up 92-89 with four second left.
Free throws decided it. The Tar Heels made 27 of 34. The Flyers were 11 of 13.
To prevent a game-tying three, the Tar Heels fouled Malachi Smith. He made the first and purposely missed the second, hoping for a miracle UD rebound and stick-back.
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But the Tar Heels grabbed the rebound and it was over.
The game was tied, 20-20, with nine minutes left in the first half. From there, led by Posh Alexander’s coming out party, the Flyers outscored UNC, 31-13, to enjoy the intermission with a 51-33 lead.
Alexander scored 11 first-half points but zero second-half points.
Posh Alexander scored 11 points, all in the first half.
North Carolina came into the game averaging only seven turnovers a game, but that hustling, scrappy UD defense forced 13 first-half turnovers that led to 19 points.
The Tar Heels protected the basketball diligently in the second half, only two turnovers, and the Flyers’ offense seemed to disappear off the end of a pier into the Pacific Ocean.
“North Carolina is an excellent team,” said UD coach Anthony Grant with the night’s prized understatement.
“The second half we had difficulty getting stops, it came down to our inability to get stops,” he added. “They got 59 points in the second half and we were unable to keep them off the free throw line.
“It was a tough loss and if a few plays here and there go our way it could have been a different outcome. They were able to get a rhythm and erase the lead that we had, but I thought our guys fought all the way through,” he said.
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Indeed, the Flyers put up the good fight and continuously answered UNC’s challenges, until the bitter end.
The slow death began when the Flyers led, 66-55 midway through the second half.
UD missed three shots at point blank range on one possession and Davis hit a three to cut it to 66-58. Trimble scored on a fast break and it was 66-60.
Amael L’Etang popped home three three-pointers en route to 13 points.
* Zed Key slam-jammed a stuff shot, 68-60.
Davis hit a three for UNC to make it 68-63.
* Enoch Cheeks bottomed a three to push the Flyers back to a 71-63 lead.
UNC’s Trimble grabbed an offensive rebound, scored, was fouled and made the free throw and it was 71-66.
The Flyers missed two shots and Davis drove for a basket and it was 71-68.
* It appeared the Flyers retrieved the momentum when UNC’s Jalen Washington was called for a hook-and-hold — two shots for the Flyers and they kept possession. Key hit both free throws and Santos scored underneath on the inbounds and UD was up 75-68 with 6 1/2 minutes to go.
But back came the Tar Heels — Trimble scored on a fast break, was fouled, and turned it into a three point play and it was 75-71.
* Once again it appeared the Flyers escaped the Danger Zone when Santo converted a conventional three-point play to push UD to 78-71 lead with 5 1/2 minutes left.
Malachi Smith finished with 12 points.
But UNC scored two quick two-pointers by Washington and Trimble and it was 78-75.
* Javon Bennett hit a three with two sets of hands in his face and it was 81-75 with time dwindling.
But the Tar Heels kept rushing back, a three-point play by Washington, a UD turnover, two free throws by Davis and it was 81-80 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.
* Smith missed a wild shot and Key fouled out, but Washington missed two free throws and Amael L’Etang hit his third three-pointer and the Flyers were up 84-80.
Finally, the inevitable. Trey Powell hit a three with 1:10 left to give UNC its first second-half lead, 88-87. It was the dagger.
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The Flyers had balanced scoring, but nobody with a bunch. Six scored in double figures, 10 players scored and six different players hit three-pointers.
Santos led with 15, L’Etang had 13, Smith 12, Cheeks 11, Alexander 11 and Key 10.
That’s a solid night, on most nights, but not on this night.
The Flyers face Iowa State Tuesday night after the No. 5-ranked Cyclones lost Monday to the No.4-ranked Auburn.
Zed Key slammed down three dunks.
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