Malcolm Thomas turns the corner on his way to two. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie Wright-Daniel)
University of Dayton Flyers basketball team defeated Notre Dame, 75-65, Saturday night in nearly full UD Arena, even though it was just another exhibition, the Care Source Invitational to draw attention to mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Malcolm Thomas led the Flyers with 20 points.
Dayton, OH. — It was a meaningless game, an exhibition game that everybody who witnessed it forgets about it as soon as they vacate the University of Dayton Arena parking lot.
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While the outcome of the basketball was meaningless, why it was played and what it meant couldn’t be more meaningful to UD coach Anthony Grant.
It was another CareSource Invitational game, a game designed to draw attention to mental health issues and suicide prevention.
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And during the course of the game, $10,000 checks donated to some local school districts flew around the Arena like flies at a picnic.
The game?
University of Dayton 75, Notre Dame 65.
Even though it was an exhibition game that won’t appear on either school’s record, UD Arena was near its 13,407 capacity.
All the regular season pre-game folderol was present, complete with the recording of Michael Buffer shouting, “Let’s get ready to rumble.” That was followed by the loud entrance music, the cheerleaders sprinting in front of the Flyers onto the floor toting huge red and blue UD flags.
And late in the game, when the Flyers came from behind to put away the Fighting Irish, the crowd rattled the beams as if it was an Atlantic 10 games against Virginia Commonwealth or Saint Louis.
Landen Joseph launches three of his 15 points.
To UD fans, it is basketball is basketball is basketball — be it an exhibition, be it against New Jersey Institute of Technology, be it against Sienna, be it against UTRGV (Who?) or be it against VCU or Saint Louis.
No matter what, Flyer Fans are there and Flyer Fans get into it with all their hearts, souls and mostly lungs.
And Saturday night’s game at UD Arena was a first-time experience for the roster’s many first-year players.
One of them is Landen Joseph, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard transfer from Marshall University. He made 6 of 9 shots, 3 of 5 from three, and scored 15 points.
“That was amazing to see the Arena filled up like that for a meaningless exhibition,” said Joseph. “It shows how much they support Dayton basketball. For me to be here, my first year, that meant a lot to me. . .and the team, of course.”
Malcolm Thomas, one of the few returning Flyers, knows that atmosphere, has felt it from experience.
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“It’s the same crowd every night when we’re in here,” said Thomas. “I wasn’t surprised at all to see a packed-out house. There are a lot of Flyer fans.”
After not doing much in the early going as the Flyers were trying to keep up, Thomas suddenly turned it on en route to game-high 20 points on 6 of 7 shooting, 7 of 12 from the foul line, game high six rebounds, a steal and two blocked shots.
Tristian Ford headed for a Flyers’ Layup.
“The first minutes of every game you have to shake out the jitters,”said Thomas. “Once your guys are behind you, it’s pretty easy.”
Thomas certainly made it look easy. He covered the court, end-to-end and side-to-side like freshly applied lacquer.
What probably turned his switch to fast-forward occurred midway through the first half. A Notre Dame guard drove down the right side of the lane, believing he was about to make an easy deposit in the basket.
But there was a blur blasting down the lane. It was Thomas. He flicked the ball away as if his left hand was a fly swatter.
“I do pride myself on getting blocks,” he said. He added another one in the second half. “It gives me an energy boost and I know it gives my teammates an energy boost. You’re going to see it alot this season.”
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Asked where he came from to block the lay-up, he smiled and said, “I was in Yucatan, wasn ’t I?”
It seemed that way to the mystified Irish player who had his reject button pushed.
Cody Peck on his way to a slam dunk.
Joseph gave the 6-foot-9 Thomas, a junior who appeared briefly in 26 games last season, credit for provided the team’s gas pedal.
“He played amazing,” he said. “We had to match his energy. I feel like we were a little sluggish in the beginning. He was playing hard.
“We kinda woke up to his energy, which we needed,” he added.
Grant used 10 players and mixed-and-matched lineups to see what worked and what didn’t. Joseph saw it as displaying roster depth.
“I feel like we’re so deep that we can just run around and play as hard as ever, exchange guys, come back in fresh,” said Joseph. “Other teams won’t have the same depth as we do. I think we can wear teams out alot.”
That seemed the case Saturday. Notre Dame led most of the game until the final five minutes when the Irish tired, wore down.
UD’s Derkack gets a free nose job from ND’s Tommy Ahneman.
Ten Flyers saw the playing floor and all ten scored. And a stifling full-court press wore down the Irish, too.
The Flyers, with that all-court pressure, outscored Notre Dame, 14-3, in the final 4 1/2 minutes.
Thomas kept the Flyers within sniffing distance of the Irish in the first half. UD trailed, 20-15, halfway through the first half.
Thomas scored 10 straight points, including a thunder dunk, to keep Notre Dame from running away and hiding.
It was 38-33 for the Irish at the half. And Notre Dame led, 62-61 with 4:15 left.
It was Thomas Time again. He scored seven straight points, including a three that complemented his all-round game.
That spurt gave the Flyers a 70-62 lead with 2:25 left and the Flyers coasted home.
Notre Dame’s Tommy Ahneman gives Derkack a smooch after giving him his free nose job.
While Thomas, a transfer from Villanova two years ago, played in 26 games, they were cameo appearances — two minutes or three minutes or at most four minutes a game.
He averaged four points, 1.5 rebounds and blocked 17 shots.
“This was a great first step, but there’s a lot more left of the season. I dealt with some injuries last season,” he said. “That held me back for a good amount of the season. I’m just grateful to be healed and healthy and ready to go.”
Ask Notre Dame if he is healthy and ready to go.
There is one mini-problem so far. Where is Amaël L’Etang? Yes, Frenchy has been on the floor for both exhibitions, but nobody noticed.
In the outdoor exhibition last week in Mason against Xavier, the 7-foot-1 junior scored three points on a three-pointer and had one rebound.
Against Notre Dame, his 19-minute worksheet consisted of 0 for 3 shootings — all three attempts were three-pointers, two rebounds, three turnovers and two personal fouls.
The Flyers need much, much more from a 7-foot-1 veteran.
Malcolm Thomas finishes a thunder dunk en route to 20 points.
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