Malachi Smith passed out seven assists and hit two big free throws. (Press Pros File Photos)
Virginia Commonwealth was 15-0 at home, on a nine-game winning streak and 9 1/2-point favorites, but the University of Dayton basketball team was unimpressed Friday night in Richmond, VA., and scored a 79-76 victory over the Atlantic 10 conference leaders.
Hall of famer Hal McCoy writes UD Flyer basketball exclusively for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Richmond, VA— Forrest Gump is not on the University of Dayton basketball roster, but the Flyers live by his famous quote, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”
What the Flyers got Friday night was an unexpected upset victory over Virginia Commonwealth, 79-76, as they played the way they played when they defeated UConn and Marquette.
Deja vu all over again.
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Based on their recent play, it was expected they might play they way they did in unacceptable defeats early this season at George Washington and at Massachusetts.
Why was it a huge upset? Oh so many reasons.
—VCU was leading the Atlantic 10 standings at 15-2, needing to beat UD to clinch the regular season title.
—VCU was 15-0 at their home Seigel Center this season.
—VCU was on a nine-game winning streak.
—VCU was a 9 1/2-point favorite.
To all that on this night, the Flyers said, “Pshaw and balderdash.”
But it wasn’t easy, even though the Flyers led by seven points with 35 seconds left, 76-69. The 75th and 76th points came on a Zed Key dunk, his 48th this season and the eighth dunk by the Flyers this night.
Enoch Cheeks played his usual sound all-around game.
Did that put the game away. As Ringo Starr sang it, “It Don’t Come Easy.”
VCU quickly scored twice underneath to UD’s one free throw and it was 77-73. After the second basket, the Rams stole the ball and Max Shulga scored and it was 77-75.
And it happened again. The pressing Rams pilfered the inbounds pass and Enoch Cheeks fouled Joe Bamisile. With a chance to tie it with two free throws, he missed the first and made the second and it was 77-76 with :06.8 seconds left.
Malachi Smith was fouled with :05.2 left and calmly swished both freebies.
VCU could tie it with a three, but just before the buzzer Shulga’s three attempt hit the back rim and bounced away. Why not? VCU was 5 for 30 from three-point territory and Shulga was 1 for 9 from three.
And it was karma that Smith put the lid on this one with two free throws because VCU set up squatter’s rights at the foul line — 25 for 31. The Flyers were 14 for 16 as the officials blew their whistles until their faces turned red.
The called 21 fouls on the Flyers and 18 on VCU.
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The first half was an awful display of clunky shooting after the Flyers built a 16-5 lead. From there the Flyers were 2 for 18. Fortunately for UD, VCU also was 2 for 18.
The Flyers led, 23-16, but VCU scored six straight to pull within one, 23-22. But UD held on and led, 28-27, at intermission.
It all changed in the second half. VCU scored the first basket of the second half to grab its first lead of the game, 29-28.
Nate Santos hit a key three-pointer down the stretch.
From there it was a ping pong game. There were 12 lead changes and four ties in the second half. VCU’s biggest lead was three.
The Flyers led, 66-62, when The Big Play surfaced. Javon Bennett hit a three and was fouled. He completed the four-point play to give UD a 70-62 lead, enough of a margin to enable the Flyers to hang on by a very short fingernail.
Bennett led the Flyers with 22 points on 6 of 15 shooting, 5 of 10 from three. Malachi Smith had 13, Enoch Cheeks 12, Nate Santos 11 and Amael L’Etang 10.
The Flyers passed out assists like a priest passing out wafers at communion — 18 of them on 28 baskets with Smith finding his teammates seven times.
UD played the paint game in this one, scoring 38 of its 77 points in the paint.
With Phillip Russell and his 11-point average sitting on the VCU bench with an ankle injury, sixth man Zeb Jackson started in his place and scored 26 points — but was 2 for 10 from three.
Joe Bamisile led the Rams with 18 and Max Shulga added 16, mostly on 9 for 10 from the foul line, but 1 for 9 from three, including his tie-attempt on the game’s last shot.
VCU finished the regular season 25-6, 15-3 in the A-10, meaning the Rams most likely will tie for the regular season championship with George Mason, 14-3, playing a game against a weak Richmond team Saturday.
For the Flyers, the win pushed their record to 22-9 overall and 12-6 in the A-10, clinching them a double bye when the conference tournament begins.
Those two setbacks at George Washington and Massachusetts are as painful as an infected gall bladder. If the Flyers won those two, they’d be 24-7 and in a strong position for an NCAA at-large berth.
As it stands, the Flyers only way in would be to win the A-10 title and to do that they most likely would have to beat VCU again.
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