Nate Santos drives for two of his twelve points during the Flyers’ second half comeback Saturday against #6 Marquette at UD Arena. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Sonny Fulks)
UD turned to its defense in the second half, outscored Marquette 45-27, and in front of a raucous home crowd knocked off the #6-ranked team in the country to improve their record to 9-2.
Dayton, OH — It was a nationally-televised game against a high-level nationally-ranked team, a game from which the University of Dayton hoped to gain attention and gain their own high-ranking.
By the end of the first half against No. 6-ranked Marquette Saturday night in UD Arena, viewers and pollsters probably were watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
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If so, they missed watching the Flyers go bang-bang in the second half to pull off a 71-63 victory that should launch them into the Top 25.
Hall of fame writer Hal McCoy writes University of Dayton basketball for Press Pros Magazine.com.
What a near-berserk full house (13,407) saw in the second half was the UD version of a steer-strangling defense that completely choked off Marquette’s offense.
As Zed Key said in the post-game locker room after the Flyers vaulted to 9-2, the same as Marquette, “This environment is crazy.”
That’s because the Flyer Faithful is full-bore nuts about their team, and when they witness what they saw Saturday they could be heard above the Christmas music in Clifton Mills.
What they saw was the two smallest players on the floor, 5-foot-10 Javon Bennett and 6-foot-0 Malachi Smith play as if they both grew a foot during pre-game warm-ups.
They saw Bennett barely keep UD’s heads above the Great Miami River in the first half with seven points on 3 for 5 shooting. Seven points?
Halfway through the first half Marquette led, 18-5, and it looked as if the rout was on.
UD’s Javon Bennett played defense like a man possessed in the Flyers’ comeback 71-63 win over #6-ranked Marquette.
That’s how bad it was for the Flyers in the first half. Without Bennett they were 6 for 20 and 0 for 7 from three. It is why they trailed by ten at intermission, 36-26.
They saw the Flyers make some halftime adjustments, mainly on defense that put a lid on what Marquette does best.
They saw Malachi Smith take over the offense, run the show, find the open man on his way to 11 assists. Most of his assists came when he barged his way down the lane among the big pine trees and dished it off.
What they saw was Zed Key slam dunk once, slam dunk twice, slam dunk three times off Smith passes on his way to 15 points.
What they saw was Nate Santos, usually a shooter as pure as spring water from three, encounter the miss-it disease in the first half. Undaunted, he changed his game. He drove the basket, he followed up missed shots with put backs and he snagged some key rebounds — game-high 13 to be exact.
What they saw was the Flyers claim grabber’s rights on the backboards, outrebounding the bigger, badder Golden Eagles, 38-31
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What they saw was the Flyers flop from three —4 for 19 — but compensate by outscoring Marquette in the paint, 46-26, and converting 12 points on fast breaks to only four for Marquette.
UD buried 29 baskets and 19 came on assists. Marquette prides itself on forcing turnovers, averaging 17 forced a game. They forced seven in the first half. But in the second half the Flyers protected the basketball as if it was 21-carat gold…zero turnovers. None. Not a one.
UD’s Malachi Smith attacks and scores during the Flyers’ second half turnaround win over Marquette.
“We knew we’d have to do a great job of taking care of the ball,” said UD coach Anthony Grant. “We needed to do that to keep continuity offensively and have some success to keep them out of transition. They have a lot of weapons and we needed to keep them in front of us (defensively).”
The Flyers scored first for a 2-0 lead then found themselves chasing the high-flying Golden Eagles, falling as much as 13 behind.
Marquette started the second half with a quick three to forge a 39-26 lead. And Marquette led, 41-33, when the Flyers turned the table upset down.
Enoch Cheeks hit a follow-up, Bennett hit a three and Cheeks put a missed shot back in and the Flyers were within one 41-40, with 15 1/2 minutes left.
The Flyers had several opportunities to grab the lead but Marquette kept a hop-step or two in front of them…still leading, 53-49, midway through the second half.
After missing a three, Smith drove for a basket at 7:32 and that sneaky little Bennett stole the inbounds pass one second later and dropped it in to tie it, 53-53.
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The roar of the crowd at that point probably knocked out the thousands of Christmas lights at
Clifton Mills.
So the littlest guy on the court made the biggest play — well, one of several ‘biggest plays.’
“I’ve been doing that all my life,” said Bennett. “I use my size to my advantage, Guys aren’t looking for me and I see the opportunities and I take ‘em.”
Zed Key’s dunk with seven minutes to go gave the Flyers the lead for good, and the win over Marquette.
Then came the game’s biggest play — Zed Key’s keynote address…a rim-rattling dunk off a Smith lob pass for a 55-53 lead, UD’s first since 2-0.
The Flyers never backed down from there. Another Key slam dunk made it 57-53, Santos made one of two free throws and Cheeks scored underneath to make it 60-56.
Santos hit two baskets and a stick-back, six points in a row, keeping the Flyer on top, 67-63 with 1:15 left. Cheeks put the icing on it by scoring underneath and Smith put the cherry on top with the game’s last basket.
And there it was, up above in bright lights — Dayton 71, Marquette 63.
A team sport? It is in Flyerland. As usual, the scoring was like a spread sheet — Bennett 15, Key 15, Cheeks 12, Santos 12.
But it really was a case for the defense.
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“On the defense, our coaching staff had a great game plan to limit some of the things they have success with,” said Grant. “We had to make some adjustments at the half and credit our players for being able to make those adjustments.”
Despite his offensive aid, Bennett talked about the other side of the ball and said, “Defense. . .that’s what it was. That’s a big part of how we play, turn them over (13 times) so we can get in transition.”
And there was this at halftime…….
Of his team’s first-half misery and second-half momentum, Grant said, “Their heart, their resiliency, their willingness to stick together through adversity, believing in each other.”
Grant paused briefly, barely snagging his breath and said, “I can’t say enough about our crowd. This environment tonight was as good as anywhere, big-time. I’m so happy and grateful. We have the best fans in the country.”
So what does this prove?
“For sure it was a highlight for all of us, especially with how they are ranked,” said Bennett. “It shows what we’re capable of, that how we played in Maui wasn’t a fluke.
And after beating No. 6 Marquette and No. 2 UConn in Maui, plus well-played close games in Maui against No. 5 Iowa State and top-tenner North Carolina at the time, are the Flyers worthy of the Top 25?
“Yeah, we definitely belong,” said Santos, with Bennett nodding his head vigorously in the affirmative. They are a tad prejudiced…but they are right.
Before that happens, though, the Flyers host UNLV Tuesday night, a quick refocus challenge. A loss to the Runnin’ Rebels would lock the Flyers out of the Top 25.
UD coach Anthony Grant hugs an assistant following the Flyers’ 71-63 win Saturday over Marquette.
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