Amael L’Etang tried nine three-pointers and made three, but grabbed a big rebound late. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Erik Shelken)
The University of Dayton Flyers built a 30-11 first-half lead against Saint Joseph’s and it looked like an easy runaway victory, but Saint Joseph’s chipped away in the second half and drew within three points in the final minutes before Malachi Smith’s two free throws sealed a 77-72 UD victory.
Hall of famer Hal McCoy writes UD Flyer basketball exclusively for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Dayton, OH — There were 18 credentials issued for NBA scouts for Friday’s Saint Joseph’s-Dayton basketball game in always raucous, always filled UD Arena.
They ostensibly came to see Xzayvier Brown, whose parents obviously tried to use every seldom-used consonant in his first name.
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And maybe they were there to check out senior guard Erik Reynolds.
Both wore the crimson-and-black Saint Joseph’s uniform and Brown was trying to score 20 or more points for the fourth straight game.
What they saw was a Tale of Two Halves, the first 20 minutes owned by UD and the second half owned by St. Joe’s.
What they saw was the Flyers construct a 19-point lead in the first half and saw it dwindle in the second half to as low as a three-point lead in the final minute.
Nate Santos was on fire, hitting all four three-pointeres to score a career-best 24.
What they saw was Dayton hang on by their sneakers’ double-knotted shoe laces to win, 77-72.
After three straight Atlantic 10 Conference losses, the Flyers have now won three straight.
Fortunately for the Flyers on this night, Nick Santos was Deadeye Dick and scored 17 points in the first half and a career-high 24 for the game.
When the Flyers led, 21-6, the score was Santos 12, UD 9, St. Joe’s 6.
In the first half, when they led, 30-11, the Flyers looked like the Big Bad Wolf of the A-10. In the second half they semi-retreated into sheep’s clothing.
How often does one see these statistics in the first half: UD outscored St. Joe’s off turnovers 14-0 and outscored the Hawks on fast breaks 14-0.
The game began with 7-foot-1 Amael L’Etang hitting a three-pointer. St. Joe’s trimmed the Flyers advantage to 39-26 at the half. Then L’Etang hit a three-pointer to open the second half.
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How many times has any 7-foot-1 college player taken nine three-point shots in a game? L’Etang did, all from straight out because St. Joe’s left him standing out there like an ignored statue. He made three of those nine and finished with 14 points that including a dunk and drop-it-in baskets, two huge buckets in the game’s fleeting minutes.
Malachi Smith drives for an important late-game layup.
Saint Joe’s radio color analyst and bracketologist Joe Lunardi gave a Saint Joe’s scouting report before the game and said, “They shoot 3’s early and often and sometimes they go in.”
They went in when the Hawks upset Texas Tech Villanova and Virginia Tech. And they went in when they were the only team to so far win on Davidson’s court in their previous game, and did it by 17 points (78-61).
And they went in when St. Joe’s slaughtered Chicago Loyola, 93-57. the same Chicago Loyola that UD beat, 83-81, in overtime at home.
They didn’t go in when St. Joe’s lost to Central Connecticut State, College of Charleston and Duquesne.
And luckily for the Flyers they didn’t go in Friday. They were The Gang From Hawk Hill That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. They missed their first nine three-point attempts.
By the time Anthony Hinkley hit a three with 10 minutes left in the half, the Flyers were up 25-6. At intermission they were 3 for 17 beyond the arc. Santos by himself was 4 for 4.
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But the Hawks made some halftime adjustments, decided to attack the rim rather than fire away from across the Great Miami River.
A late first-half 8-0 run brought St. Joe’s back and in the second half they chipped, chipped, chipped away. With 15 minutes to go the Hawks were within seven.
Amael L’Etang has a self-celebratory moment after a big dunk late in the game.
With 10 minutes to go they were within five. With 3:50 to go they were within six. With 30 seconds to go they were within three.
But at reckoning time, Malachi Smith made four straight free throws and a basket and L’Etang scored on a dunk and a lay-in.
With the Flyers leading 75-72 with five seconds left, Smith swished two free throws to tuck it away, improving UD to 14-6 overall and 4-3 in the A-10.
“We feel good, we’re finding out identity again, starting to feel real good,” said Santos, who finished 9 for 14 and 4 for 4 from three, plus a game-high eight rebounds.
About the sprint-away first half, Smith said, “We played to our identity, hit some shots and got stops on defense and we had high energy in the first half.”
Indeed, it looked as if the Flyers pigged out on a high energy drink the first half, then it wore off in the second half.
Javon Bennett chipped in 16 points and scored on this drive to the basket.
“The energy kind of died out a little bit,” Smith added. “They started hitting some shots, which they are capable of doing. We definitely could have had a better sense of urgency.
“But we got the dub (win), and that’s the most important thing,” he added. “But I will say our energy died out, but they did make a lot of good shots.”
If the scouts came to see Brown score 20 for the fourth straight game, he missed by five, scoring 15. If they came to see Reynolds, they saw him score 21 but it came on 8 of 19 from the field, 4 for 13 from three.
They had to be most impressed with Santos, even if they didn’t come to watch him.
And, as nearly always, UD coach Anthony Grant smelled the roses rather than the stinkweed.
“I’m proud of our guys,” he said. “This was obviously a big game. St. Joe’s is extremely talented, hard to defend, a really good team.
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“We knew we’d have to be locked in and I thought our guys did a really good job defensively in the first half, making it difficult for them,” he added. “And then we were able to find a rhythm from an offensive standpoint and build a lead.”
Then what?
“We knew that they were going to have a run,” said Grant. “They’re just too good, too talented. We were able to sustain, keep them at bay throughout the game.”
But it got hairy, as hairy as a gorilla in need of a trim.
“In the second half, they got it flowing a little bit and we had to change our defense and the guys did a good job of making those adjustments in taking away some of those things that they started to have some success with in the second half,” said Grant. “But they made some tough shots.”
And down the stretch?
“We were able to get to the line and make our free throws to keep them at bay and to find a way to win the game. That’s the most important thing,” said Grant. The Flyers made 15 of 18 for the game from the foul line.
The degree of difficulty creeps up a notch or two for the Flyers. They are on a trail of saints. After beating Saint Joseph’s, UD’s next two assignments are tough road tests at St. Bonaventure Tuesday and at Saint Louis next Friday.
Enoch Cheeks scored only two points and this was it, a slam dunk.
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