Grant proud of team’s character and resolve
ST. LOUIS, MO. — The Dayton Flyers have no official captains. There was never a moment when Anthony Grant told the players there would be no captains this season, Obi Toppin said. They just figured it out and decided they don’t need the titles anyway.
“Everybody’s a captain on our team,” Toppin said. “Especially Trey (Landers) and Ryan (Mikesell), them being the seniors, we listen to them the most. But everybody has a voice on the team, even down to the walk-ons. When they say something, we listen, just because they see things we can’t see on the court.”
The captain question came up Friday after No. 13 Dayton’s 78-76 overtime victory — clinched on a 3-pointer by Jalen Crutcher with 0.1 seconds remaining — against Saint Louis at Chaifetz Arena because coach Anthony Grant praised the leadership of the players in the post-game press conference.
“During the break in the action before the overtime, there was a player-led timeout,” Grant said. “Obi, Trey, Jalen, all the guys stepped up and you could just tell the resolve they had to do whatever it took to win the game today. Obviously, we’re excited to get the win, but more proud of the character and resolve we had in that locker room.”
First buzzer beater: In its only two losses this season, Dayton (16-2, 5-0) forced overtime on last-second 3-pointers. Crutcher made one against Kansas in the Maui Invitational championship. Toppin did the same against Colorado in Chicago on Dec. 21.
This time, Dayton was on the wrong end of a last-second shot at the end of regulation. After Landers made 1 of 2 free throws with five seconds remaining to give Dayton a 69-67 lead, Jordan Goodwin drove to the basket and scored over Rodney Chatman to tie the game at the buzzer.
“Great play by Goodwin,” Grant said. “That was on me. I probably should used the timeout there up two. I kick myself for that. He made a heck of a play to send it to overtime.”
Overtime streak: Dayton ended a four-game losing streak in overtime and won its first overtime game in the Grant era. It lost 88-84 at Virginia Commonwealth in 2018, Grant’s first season, and then 72-70 at home to Rhode Island last season. The losses to Kansas and Colorado this season followed.
“I was tired of losing in overtime,” Toppin said. “Our only two losses were to Colorado and Kansas in overtime, and God wasn’t going to let us lose another one. I was speaking to (the rest of the team) and making sure they knew we’ve go to win this one. There were no ifs, ands or buts. We’ve got to win.”
Free-throw shooting: Dayton made 13 of 19 free throws (68.4%), about four points below its season average of 72.2. Dayton was shooting 60% until Crutcher made 4 of 4 in the final minute of overtime.
Rodney Chatman missed the front end of a 1-and-1 twice in the final 32 seconds of regulation, and Landers made 1 of 2 with five seconds remaining, giving the Billikens a chance to take a 2-pointer in the final seconds.
While Dayton may have had a sub-par night at the line, Saint Louis lived up to its reputation as the nation’s worst free-throw shooting team. It made 20 of 37 (54.1%). It’s shooting 56% at the line this season. It’s one of six teams out of 353 in Division I shooting below 60%.
Hasahn French made 4 of 10 and banked in one of his shots. Goodwin made 4 of 9.
Big comeback: Dayton trailed 55-42 with 7:40 to play. It got back into the game and moved into the lead by making six 3-pointers in the next four minutes. Ibi Watson made two. Toppin made two. Crutcher and Landers each made one during that stretch.