Javon Bennett scored 17 and had 5 rebounds for the Flyers. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie Wright-Daniel)
Liberty University made a 426-mile bus trip from Lynchburg, Va. to Dayton worthwhile by beating the University of Dayton Flyers, 64-61, Saturday afternoon in UD Arena, concluding Dayton’s 33-game winning streak against non-conference opponents in UD Arena, the self-proclaimed Epicenter of College Basketball.
Dayton, OH. — As Patrick Henry said, “Give me Liberty and give me a victory,”. . . or something like that.
The University of Dayton Flyers saw Liberty University Saturday afternoon in UD Arena, but they didn’t see victory.
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In fact, they saw basketball death — death to their 33-game unbeaten streak against non-conference opponents in UD Arena.
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Liberty traveled 426 miles by bus, a seven-hour ride, but made it worthwhile by taking a 64-61 victory back to Lynchburg, Va., and the school founded by televangelist Jerry Falwell.
The Flames were on fire all afternoon in pushing their record to 8-3. They made 26 of 54 field goals (48.1%) and were 8 for 18 from three (44.4%).
That is not a shock wave. Before Saturday, they averaged 53.7% from the field, second best in the nation.
They are well-coached by Ritchie McKay, in his 13th season at Liberty. They are disciplined both offensively and defensively. And they forced their will on the Flyers.
The Flames had their own Paul Bunyan on the floor in 6-foot-7 senior Zach Cleveland, who did everything but mop the floor . . . but he did mop up the Flyers.
Keonte Jones get a dunk in for the day.
It wasn’t enough that his 12 points were three above his average, but he also doubled his rebound average, snagging 16. And he contributed seven assists, blocked three shots and stole the ball twice.
He was last scene scurrying out a back door with UD’s valuables in his pockets . . . or so it seemed.
On the flip side, UD star DeShayne Montgomery was a figurative no-show. He averages 16.4 points and 4.8 rebounds, but his stat sheet Saturday was nearly a blank paper — 0 points, 1 rebound, 0 assists and 0 steals, all in 25 minutes.
Malcolm Thomas was absent with leave, a sore ankle, and newest recruit, Sean Pouedet from Belgium, made a cameo 11 1/2-minute debut and scored a basket on his only attempt.
The Flyers led, 61-58, with 2 1/2 minutes left and the rest of the game was a mess.
Liberty plays two undersized guards — 5-10 Colin Porter and 5-11 Kaden Metheny, both of whom are water bugs on the floor — here, there and everywhere with non-stop motion and a plethora of back door cuts for easy lay-ins.
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Porter scored 13 and Metheny scored 16 and those two carried the daggers that did in the Flyers.
With his team down, 61-58, Porter buried a three to tie it, 61-61, with two minutes left.
Javon Bennett and Amaël L’Etang both missed three-point shots and Cleveland broke the tie with a free throw with 44 seconds left, giving Liberty a 62-61 lead.
Jordan Derkack is confronted by a Liberty defender.
Bennett missed a mid-range jumper with 29 seconds left. After a timeout, Metheny drove for a basket to make it 64-61 with 12 seconds left.
The Flyers called time, set up a play to shake somebody loose for a ‘3,’ but Jacob Conner’s hoist at the buzzed missed.
In the final 2 1/2 minutes, the Flyers missed all four of their shot attempts.
“They had a good game plan for what we wanted to do and we couldn’t get the stops that we needed at the right time,” said Bennett, who scored 17, but needed 14 shots to make five and was 3 for 8 from three.
The Flyers were led by 7-foot-1 Amaël L’Etang, who played like a point guard in the first half by making four three-pointers. He had 13 points at halftime and finished with 19.
The Flyers led at intermission, 33-29 and pushed it to 37-29 to start the second half.
Then. . .
“They went on a run in the second half and we had to fight uphill,” said Coach Anthony Grant. That run was 13-0, pushing the Flames to a 42-37 lead that put UD into chase mode the rest of the way.
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And when the chase was over, the Flyers were left panting and behind.
Of the last play that fizzled, Bennett said, “It was just trying to get a three. We tried to set a ball screen to get somebody open, who could get open. We just needed a shot. I thought he (Conner) was open, so I passed it.”
7-foot-1 Amaël L’Etang made four three-pointers.
Grant’s assessment was about his team’s inability to counter-act Liberty’s defensive emplacements.
“They were able to take some things away from us that we’ve had success with most of the year,” said Grant. “So we had to try to do some things differently. It was the way they defended. They try to protect the paint, not let penetrations get to the paint. When we were able to get to the paint, they were physical and we didn’t do a good job of finishing through the physicality. Some were misses, some were turnovers.”
The Flames outscored the Flyers in the paint, 36-20, something that rarely happens to UD.
And after shooting 47 free throws in their previous game, an alley-like brawl with Florida State, UD shot only 15 free throws Saturday.
“We have good success turning those plays in the paint into free throws,” said Grant. “We were limited today in terms of getting to the free throw line.”
And what manifested?
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“You look at the stat sheet and more than half of our shots were from the three-point line,” added Grant.
The Flyers were 9 for 27 from three and 11 for 26 from two.
“We didn’t play to the identity that we’ve been able to play to,” he said. “We need to continue to move the needle and develop more discipline on both sides of the ball. It impacted our ability to try to win today.
Sean Pouedet from Belgium, made a cameo 11 1/2-minute debut and scored a basket on his only attempt.
“We had some opportunities in the last three minutes, but we had some shots that didn’t go in and they had shots that did go in,” said Grant.
That, of course, is the way the ball bounces and determines who wins and who loses.
Even a recognized court-side appearance by former UD pitcher Craig Stammen from North Star, the new manager of the San Diego Padres, didn’t inspire the Flyers.
So UD’s non-conference schedule is over, a 9-4 run for the Flyers that was acceptable. . .until Saturday.
Before Liberty, the Flyers flattened Canisius, UMBC, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina Central, East Tennessee State, North Florida, Florida State in UD Arena by an average of 23 points.
They own a legitimate win at Marquette and a legitimate win over Georgetown on a neutral court. They have an auspicious loss at Cincinnati and defeats to a pair of ranked teams, Brigham Young and Virginia.
Now it’s on to the important stuff — all their remaining regular-season games are against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents, beginning New Year’s Eve afternoon against Fordham in UD Arena.
It is difficult to believe, but true. Grant concentrates on the game at end, never knows the next opponent until it’s time to prepare.
He said it Saturday, “I don’t even know who we play next.”
And before closing up shop for the Christmas holidays, Grant turned philosophical: “We lost a basketball game today. We get to play more. We try to keep that in perspective.”
Craig Stammen and family, wife Audrey, Ty (4), Cece (2), Summit (6), Chase (7) and Craig. Stammen is a UD grad and former pitcher for the Flyers. He pitched for the San Diego Padres, retiring due to shoulder injury. He is now the manager of the Padres.
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