By PAUL GOTHAM
BROOKLYN — It took more than 30 minutes for the Dayton Flyers to string together scores on consecutive possessions. Once found, the Flyers did not lose their rhythm.
Dyshawn Pierre and Jordan Sibert combined for 18 second-half points as No. 2-seed Dayton came from behind to defeat the No. 3-seed Rhode Island Rams, 56-52 in the semi-finals of the Atlantic 10 Championship at Barclays Center, Saturday.
Sibert’s drive from the wing snapped a 47-47 tie as the Flyers erased a six-point second half deficit. Moments later, the senior captain put the finishing touches on a sequence initiated at the other end of the floor, and the Flyers had a lead they would not surrender.
“We basically know that our defense is what fuels our offense,” Sibert noted. “So towards the end, we tried to pick up our intensity, tried to pressure a little bit more, and kind of got our offense clicking towards the end.”
Sibert’s basket started when teammate Scoochie Smith stripped T.J. Buchanan on his layup attempt. Kyle Davis grabbed the loose ball and led Sibert up the floor.
“I knew they had a little fast break advantage, so just tried my best to get a stop,” Smith recalled “I think that would have [given] them a lot of momentum.”
Sibert finished with a spin move in the lane to avoid a pair of Rhode Island defenders.
“Offense isn’t going to be there at times in the postseason,” Miller stated. “I thought today’s game was going to be one where the players won the game because there just wasn’t any easy baskets. There wasn’t anything easy around the paint on both ends.”
Overall, UD converted 21 URI miscues into a 22-12 advantage on points off turnovers.
“The difference in the game really was probably the turnover margin and our ability to maybe convert some of them at big times,” Miller noted. “Every basket was hard‑earned, and we are very fortunate to win. But at this time of the year, it doesn’t really matter how you get it. You’ve just got to get it.”
One day after connecting on 27 of 52 (51.9 percent) shots from the floor in their victory over St. Bonaventure, URI held the Flyers to 21 of 50 (42 percent). Sibert who connected on two of five from behind the arc, Friday missed all four of his attempts from long range against Rhode Island. The Flyers managed to hit just two three-pointers on the night.
“Part of it is we know we have won games a lot of different ways this season,” Miller added. “Some of them we shot really well and offense just clicked. Some of it’s just been we have grinded it out and found a way to just be there at the end and make a few winning plays, like tonight or last night.”
Limited to just two points on one of seven shooting in the first half, Pierre triggered UD’s comeback. Trailing by four inside 10 minutes to go, the junior forward grabbed a Darrell Davis pass into the open court and finished at the rim with an acrobatic move. Two possessions later he took a Smith inbound pass and scored on a layup. His baby hook from the right block knotted the game at 42, and his two free throws on the next trip gave Dayton a two-point edge with 5:38 to go.
“For the first time in a long time, I think you saw the scowl on his face that you’re normally accustomed to seeing when he really wants to put his head down or he really wants to make something happen,” Miller said. “Our last game and a half, he sort of let the action kind of take him out of the game. The game is physical right now. They are not letting him do what he wants to do and he’s missing some short shots.
“But I thought at about the nine‑minute mark, when things really started to get physical, he really raised up. He had a couple great moves, he had a couple great finishes. And the fact that he finished with 10 (points) ‑9 (rebounds), that’s a heck of an effort for him because he was really battling through it. He is who he is. He’s one of those guys that can really get going in a big way and we need him to.”
The Rams, who had won four games previously when scoring in the 50s, were held to their lowest point total of the season.
“Tough loss obviously,” Rhode Island’s Dan Hurley said. “Obviously lost a little bit with inexperience, 21 turnovers, giving away that many possessions obviously hurt. And you’ve got to give them credit.”
Dayton limited Rhode Island’s Hassan Martin to four points and five rebounds.
“They were definitely being physical with him,” Hurley said. “He got fouled a couple times, and they just didn’t call it. I think he’s tired. We ask him to do a lot. We’ve asked him to do a lot at both ends of the court.”
The 6-7 sophomore forward hit just 2 of 7 shots on the night.
“I thought he missed a couple that he normally makes,” Miller noted. “Normally he smashes through the rim or he knocks them in. He didn’t make a couple that he normally makes. I don’t think we had a lot to do with it.”
The second-team all-conference performer came into the game knocking down 62.7 percent (136 of 217) of his shots on the year.
“The big thing was there was a lot of contact around the basket, whether he had it around the basket or we had it around the basket,” Miller said. “I just thought there was enough physicality they were going to let us play; that you’re going to have to make them; you’re going to have to hard earn them.
“He made a couple. But I thought, number one, keeping it out of there, not giving him the normal looks, the normal catches that he got. I don’t think he got a ton of just great catches. When he did, we challenged things at the basket.”
“He plays hard minutes, you know,” Hurley said. “Some guys just play 35 minutes; he plays hard minutes, that kid. And your heart breaks for him, because for me, he’s first time all conference player this year, and the last two days, he just didn’t have any pop in his legs, and your heart breaks for him.”
E.C. Matthews scored a game-high 16 for Rhode Island. His catch-and-shoot three from the right wing gave Rhody its largest lead of the night at 34-28.
But the Rams managed just one field goal in the final three minutes.
“We went cold for a little bit,” Matthews stated. “But I would say ‑‑ too many outside shots and needed to attack the paint more, get everybody else involved.”
Gilvydas Biruta added 14 for URI.
Sibert registered game-highs with five assists and five steals.
Dayton (25-7) will take on No. 5-seed VCU (25-9) in Sunday’s final. UD beat then No. 22 VCU 59-55 on February 28th.
“I think any time you play VCU, first thing is take care of the ball,” Miller said. “You have to take care of the ball, and that sort of can at least help you a little bit in defending the easy looks.”
A 1:00 pm tip off is scheduled.
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