Exiting UD Arena Thursday night, I told Dayton Athletic Director Tim Wabler that the Flyers stunning 75-47 beat down of Charlotte was a “good” win. I misspoke. It was a GREAT win.
Rebounding from what seemed to be a crushing two-game losing skid to St. Joe’s and Rhode Island, the Flyers continued their road to redemption by crushing the visiting 49ers by 28 points.
That coupled with last Saturday’s rout of Xavier gives Dayton a combined 53-point margin of victory in its last two games – and both came at the expense of the then-Atlantic 10 leader.
Charlotte entered Thursday’s tilt 18-5 overall, 8-1 in the A-10 and in sole possession of first place. They’re now 8-2 and tied with Xavier and Richmond.
Dayton is 6-3 in the A-10 and 17-6 overall, but the Flyers are playing like a first place team – which is what they were projected to be in the preseason.
Here are five things we learned Thursday:
1. Chris Wright does have a jump shot: No one questions Wright’s ability when it comes to shear physical stature. His athleticism is unparalleled. His jump shot on the other hand…well. Wright no doubt has NBA aspirations – which he could fulfill after this, his junior season – but to truly be effective at the next level, someone of Wright’s build is going to have to be able to shoot from the outside. Up until tonight he had shown glimpses but not consistency. Tonight he showed everything – to the dismay of Charlotte. Wright scored a career-high 30 points, including 20 in a second half in which he dominated play. He hit 3s, free throws, mid-range shots and of course slammed home some of his patented dunks. He also added nine rebounds and an assist. Wright played as complete a game as you can tonight. He was a star.
2. UD becoming dominant inside: If this is a pattern…I like it. For the second consecutive game, the Flyers dominated in the paint and got the opposing team’s big men saddled with foul trouble early and often. Dayton’s frontcourt starters (Wright, Chris Johnson and Kurt Huelsman) outscored Charlotte’s 47-17 and outrebounded them 21-14. Key Charlotte frontline sub Phil Jones fouled out after getting a point and three rebounds in just 11 minutes. Starting forwards Chris Braswell (four fouls, five points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes) and Shamari Spears (held four points below his team-high 16 points per game scoring average) didn’t muster much of anything – except boos.
3. Dayton’s defense is good: Charlotte had 27 points at half and mustered just 20 in the final 20 minutes. Defense has never been an issue with the Flyers. It’s just a matter of whether or not their offense – and more specifically the ability to hit the 3-pointer – shows up. Did we mention Charlotte was held to it lowest point total of the year and shot just 25-percent (12-of-48) from the floor.
4. A-10 Referees aren’t very good: Again, another inconsistent game by the guys in stripes. Someone needs to explain to A-10 refs what a charge is and also how to call a game from start to finish. At one point in the first half the Flyers had seven fouls to Charlotte’s two. In the second half it was 5-1 in favor of the 49ers. During one four-minute stretch midway through the second half, nine fouls combined were called on the teams. And even though Dayton fans had complaints, think about the gripe 49ers fans have – Wright didn’t have one foul. Not one. But he did have 30 points.
5. Stat of the Night: Charlotte made 12 shots. Wright made 11.
Next Up: Saturday, 4 p.m. at Saint Louis. Televised on ESPNU.
