“We’re disappointed, obviously, with the outcome. It’s tough to end it the way it did. I thought this team had opportunities and coming here we felt good about the way we were playing.” – Anthony Grant
The University of Dayton’s yearly struggles in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament continued this season when the Flyers lost the first game they played in the tournament, a 73-68 overtime loss to Saint Joseph’s.
Washington, DC — The University of Dayton basketball team might better have spent its time Friday night walking up the 896 steps of the Washington Monument.
Except reaching the top of its goals has been difficult to achieve for the Flyers, especially when it comes to the Atlantic 10 tournament.
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Once again, the Flyers fell far short in the A-10 tournament and that vacant spot in the UD trophy case for A-10 hardware will gather nothing but dust for another year.
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This time the third-seed Flyers took an exit stage right in their first game of the A10 tournament, a 73-68 overtime loss to six seed Saint Joseph’s.
Only once have the Flyers carried home the A10 tournament trophy. . .and they didn’t have to carry it far in 2003 because the tournament was played in UD Arena.
There have been eight different schools win the tournament in the last eight years, but Dayton hasn’t been one of them and won’t be again this year.
“We’re disappointed, obviously, with the outcome,” said UD coach Anthony Grant. “It’s tough to end it the way it did. I thought this team had opportunities and coming here we felt good about the way we were playing.”
One of those opportunities went flying away Friday.
It was bad enough the Flyers crash landed in the A10 tournament, but even worse is that they can pack away their gear. Any hope of an NCAA at-large bid disappeared on the Capital Arena Floor.
It was a clumsy, clunky game on both sides and a particular insidious finish for the Flyers.
The Flyers trailed, 56-48, with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation. UD embarked on a 12-0 run, completed on a drive to the basket by Malachi Smith.
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That put the Flyers on top, 60-56 — a four-point lead with 18 seconds left and it looked as if UD was on its way to the semifinals.
Looks are more than deceiving.
Saint Joe’s Xavier Brown made two free throws with 14 seconds left, but UD still led, 60-58.
Matters then turned ugly for Smith. He missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 11 seconds left. Then, inexplicably, Smith fouled Brown at mid-court and his two free throws with six seconds left tied it, 60-60.
Nate Santo contributed 14 points in a season-ending loss in the A-10 Tournament.
Smith drove the floor’s length and missed a lay-up as the buzzer blared and it was overtime.
To continue his late-game troubles, Smith missed a pull-up jumper to start the overtime. Saint Joe’s scored four quick points to grab a 64-60 lead and the Flyers played from behind the entire five minutes of extra time.
Brown was big. …again. He hit a three with 45 seconds left to push Saint Joe’s ahead, 68-63.
Nate Santos, who scored 14 and incredibly grabbed 15 rebounds, buried a three with 33 seconds left to lift UD to within two, 68-66.
The Flyers had to foul from there and Saint Joe’s made five of six in the final 29 seconds to clinch it, pushing its record to 22-11 and earning a semifinal match-up Saturday against George Mason.
The Flyers finish the season at 22-10.
Both teams had won eight of its last 10 games, but both looked as if they had lost eight of its last 10.
“Unfortunately, things didn’t go our way today,” said Grant. “Our year had it’s ups-and-downs. A familiar thing we’ve said about this team is a level of resiliency, kind of fighting through some things.
“It is probably too soon to reflect on whether or not, they need to be as resilient as we had to be,” he added. “Some of those things were avoidable, some of it was just the game.”
This one, though, was as avoidable as crossing a street without getting hit by a bus. If the Flyers had shot just a notch or too better, the season would have continued.
UD started fast, making three of its first six shots to take a 10-5 lead while Saint Joseph’s was 2 for 9.
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That was five minutes into the game and during a media timeout Grant made his usual early sweeping substitutions.
The Flyers made 2 of its next 17 shots and at one point Saint Joseph’s went on a 17-2 run that netted them a 31-16 lead.
UD scrambled back into contention with an 8-2 mini-run to pull within 33-24 at intermission.
The Flyers, though were a bit shell-shocked by what happened seven times near the basket. Saint Joe’s Justice Ajogbar, a 6-10 senior from Nigeria, blocked seven shots.
Things got better for the Flyers in the second half and a three by Javon Bennett tied it at 38-38. Saint Joe’s recovered to leap back out, 46-38.
Once again the Flyers, with the resiliency of a hard rubber ball, fought back. Amael L’Etang was 0 for 4 from three when he hit one with 8 1/2 minutes left to tie it, 46-46.
But the Hawks recuperated with a 10-2 run for a 56-48 lead. That’s when the Flyers went on their 12-0 binge to take the 60-56 lead, only to let it slip through their shaky fingers.
And how is this for an incredible coincidence. Three Flyers shot 5 for 14 and one shot 6 for 14.
Javon Bennett and Amael L’Etang led the Flyers with 15 points, L’Etang on 5 for 14 and Bennett on 6 for 14.
Nate Santos scored 14, also on 5 for 14. Malachi Smith was, of course, 5 for 14 and scored 11. Santos also snagged a career-best 15 rebounds.
And if one believes the Flyers were blind marksmen, well, Saint Joe’s had Erik Reynolds II scored 21 and Xzayvier Brown scored 20. But Reynolds was 7 for 23 and Brown was 5 for 17.
It wasn’t a game anybody ever will see on 30 For 30.
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