Nate Santos led the Flyers with 24 points on 6 for 6 three-point shooting. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
In a tune-up game for next Saturday night’s confrontation with Marquette, UD’s Flyers did what they were expected to do by bashing outmanned Lehigh, 86-62, behind 26 points by Nate Santos, who shot six three-pointers and made six three-pointers.
Dayton, OH — Anybody who wanted to know the likely outcome of the University of Dayton versus Lehigh Saturday afternoon in UD Arena need only go Googling.
The researcher would discover that Lehigh lost to Saint Francis (PA.) by 88-78, a team UD rocked, 87-57.
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The researcher would have discovered that Lehigh lost to Northwestern by 90-46, a team the Flyers rolled, 71-66.
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And they would have discovered that UD was a 21 1/2-point favorite.
The Flyers had that covered with 16 minutes left en route to a rout, 86-62. And the Flyers, now 8-2, had a 28-point lead with 14 1/2 minutes to play.
But then they sloughed off. It’s human nature. A 28-point lead with 14 1/2 minutes left? “Let’s save something for next Saturday when a real challenge confronts us — Marquette,” they probably muttered under their breaths.
The slough job didn’t please coach Anthony Grant because everybody knows every basketball coach worth his clipboard or iPad has to find fault.
He couldn’t find fault with Nate Santos and his 24 points, achieved with 6-for-6 sniping from Three-Point Land.
He couldnt find fault with the floor play of Malachi Smith on a day when his brother, Scoochie Smith, was inducted into the UD Athletic Hall of Fame. Malichi had 17 points, nine assists and zero turnovers.
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He couldn’t find fault with any of his guards as Smith, Javon Bennett and Posh Alexander combined for 25 points, 20 assists and zero turnovers.
Bennett had seven points and six assists while Alexander contributed four points and five assists.
And the team shot with the deadliness of a pro marksman — 57.1% from the field (28-49), 63.6% from three on 14-22. . .and they were 12 for 14 at one point.
So what could Grant possibly find wrong?
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“Our guys did a good job offensively, the ball moved well — 21 assists on 28 baskets,” he said. “Our backcourt did a great job of taking care of the ball. Between Malachi, Javon and Posh (Alexander) they had 20 assists and zero turnovers,” said Grant, opening his comments with the good stuff.
“On the other side of the ball, we did a really good job of being locked in and taking away their opportunities at the three-point line. We knew coming in they were a real good three-point shooting team,” said Grant.
The Mountain Hawks came in shooting 37% from three and leading scorer Keith Higgins Jr. was making 44.2% from three.
They made only 1 for 6 in the first half and Higgins was 1 for 2. But the Mountain Hawks made 7 for 17 in the second half with Higgins burying 3 of 6 and scoring a team-high 24, seven over his average and the only Lehigh player in double figures.
Former Flyer Scoochie Smith (above) was inducted into the UD Hall of Fame…on a night when his brother Malachi scored 17 points for the current Flyers.
“For about the first eight minutes of the second half, we continued (stout defense), and then I wasn’t happy with the way things went,” said Grant.
After constructing that 28-point lead, Lehigh closed it to 14 (66-51) with 10 minutes left. The Flyers went on a 16-5 run to rebuild the lead, 82-56, and they coasted home.
“About the 12-minute mark. . .just our inconsistency,” said Grant. “What we strive to take away, we have to be more consistent. It’s a 40-minute game,”
For Smith, it was a special afternoon, an afternoon for him to shine before brother Scoochie was inducted at halftime.
And that’s what he did, scoring 10 of his 17 points in the first half then turning facililator in the second half with five of his nine assists.
It is an ever-growing success story for Smith after a succession of ankle surgeries.
“The word for Malachi is resiliency,” said Grant. “Malichi still has another level that he can get to. We’re going to challenge him and push him to get there. With every game he is gaining confidence and understanding the standard he needs to hold himself to and we need to hold him to.”
What’s that level? Perhaps the high level that big brother attained as a Flyer?
“The legacy that he (Scoochie) had at this university — he was a special player, a great ambassador for UD Flyer basketball,” said Grant.
And Malachi wants to walk boldly in big brother’s sneaker prints.
Asked if he had any extra incentive to play good with Scoochie in the house, Malachi said, ‘I wish, I wish. I’m glad he was here.
“He has known me since I was young and I try to model my game after his, growing up watching him. I just try to model my game after him,” he added.
Asked if he plays one-on-one against Scoochie, Malachi laughed and said, “Not even a minute, not a minute.”
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The Smith-Smith party nearly overshadowed the shooting display by Santos — a 180 from UD’s first game. Santos was 0 for 6 from three that night and 6 for 6 Saturday.
And the basketball has nothing but net burns on it because none of his threes even scraped iron.
“It’s a mindset,” he said. “Whether it goes in or not, as a shooter you just have to keep shooting. Our guys give me good shots so I just have to have the next-shot mentality whether it goes in or not.”
When Santos buries a three, he turns to the crowd and blows kisses, something he started last season when the Flyers played at Northwestern.
“The first time I did it (at Northwestern), my family was in the crowd and I just did it toward them,” he said. “It just stuck.”
So Santos has gone from zero blown kisses to six. . .and counting.
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