By Paul Gotham
Numbers can lie
Despite being outrebounded 46-24, Dayton’s Flyers edged Texas A&M 55-53 in the first round of the 2014 Puerto Rico Classic. The disparity is fodder for those who don’t believe in rebound margin as an accurate gauge of success. That’s what happens when stats are taken out of context. A&M grabbed 20 offensive boards to just six for the Flyers. Truth is the Aggies struggled to convert. On five different possessions in the first half, the Aggies corralled multiple boards. Multiple. Two possessions they had more than one offensive rebound and came away with ZERO points. A&M pulled down 15 offensive rebounds in the first half and trailed 22-21. Their work on the offensive glass doubled made field goals, 15-7. It’s great getting on the boards, you still have to convert – especially under the basket.
With a twist
That being said, on their next-to last possession of the game, Alex Caruso penetrated the lane but missed a layup. When they needed it most, UD secured the pumpkin. To add some irony, Devon Scott tallied the game winner on….you guessed it an offensive rebound. Scoochie Smith broke down his defender with a slick crossover, drove the paint, went to the basket between two bigs. Scott was there for the putback when Smith’s shot glanced off the rim.
Making excuses
More irony – The Flyers’ trip to Puerto Rico was delayed because of …flight problems. Guess that even happens to the community which hosts the National Museum of the United States Force. As a result, UD didn’t get to practice in the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. Seemed most noticeable in the first half when on two occasions UD players slipped on floor signage and committed turnovers.
Making adjustments
UD hit 2 of 18 (11.1 percent) from behind the arc. Not that A&M was much better – 3-10 (30 percent). But Dayton’s last three field goals all came in the paint. Along with Scott’s game-winner, Jalen Robinson scored twice on a pair of layups. Archie Miller’s team knows how to figure it out.
Executing
It took more than four minutes before Dayton scored from the floor. When they did, it was a perfectly executed inbound play to Kendall Pollard for a dunk. They ran the same set two more times for the sophomore forward. Both times Pollard strolled through an open lane with a clear chance to finish. Pollard scored one more time on the play and just missed a dunk on the third. Yeah, this doesn’t speak well of A&M’s ability to recognize and adjust. The Flyers also ran a sideline set late in the game, and Jordan Sibert had a good look for three. Again, UD got what it wanted out of an inbound play. That’s a sign of a well-coached team. Not that that point is being challenged.
Showing confidence
Caruso missed his layup with 30 seconds remaining. Instead of calling a timeout, Miller let his guys run offense. Scoochie Smith and Devon Scott, the two main guys on the final play, have been through tight games in the past, not to mention Sibert, Robinson and Kyle Davis who all created floor space. No need to give the opponent a chance to set up the defense. That’s a nice luxury to have.
Not be overlooked
Caruso kind of had his way for much of the game scoring 17 on 5-10 shooting. On his layup for the lead? UD’s leading returning scorer, Sibert, denied a clear lane to the basket and tipped the shot.
On to the “next play”
When asked about how his team responded to their struggles, Miller simply said: “We move on to the next play.” It is possible that Dayton’s next play will come against the reigning National Champion, UConn. Both advanced out of the Buffalo regional last year.
Dayton will play at 2:30 on Friday.
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