Improved free-throw shooting key for Flyers
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The Dayton Flyers stopped running up and down the court and firing up shots from every corner in the final minutes of practice Wednesday at the Delta Center. Everything got really quiet for about five minutes as they shot free throws.
The goal was to make as many in a row as possible. One group of players shot on one hoop, competing with a group at the other end. They alternated shots.
“Coach really emphasizes free throws,” guard Javon Bennett said. “It’s part of our routine. After pretty much every drill or workout, we shoot free throws and then get water. I think it translates to the game for sure.”
That’s one way coach Anthony Grant tries to replicate the pressure of shooting free throws in a game. No. 7 seed Dayton made 13 of 15 free throws in a 63-60 victory against No. 10 Nevada on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
“It was needed,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said Friday, one day before a second-round game against No. 2 seed Arizona. “We’ve had games where we haven’t been able to be as successful from the free-throw line. So that was big yesterday. As big was our ability to keep them off the free-throw line. They had been one of the best teams in the country at being able to get to the freethrow line. So I thought both of those things were huge.”
Dayton improved its season percentage to 73.7 (463 of 628), the best mark for the program since the 2011-12 season (77.7). The national average is 71.9.
Junior forward DaRon Holmes II is the biggest reason Dayton has improved its percentage by almost four points from last season because he accounts for 44.9% of the team’s attempts. He made 8 of 9 free throws against Nevada. He’s shooting 71.3% (201 of 282). As a sophomore, he shot 66.9% (158 of 236). As a freshman, he shot 58.6 (82 of 140).
Holmes ranks sixth in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.5). He is Dayton’s all-time leader in blocks (214) and dunks (241). He ranks 11th in scoring. He has also climbed the free-throw charts.
■ Holmes’ 201 made free throws this season rank second in school history behind Don May (223 of 284, 78.5%, 1967-68).
■ Holmes has made 458 free throws in his career. That ranks fifth behind Roosevelt Chapman (575), May (510), Don “Monk” Meineke (496) and John Horan (477).
■ Holmes ranks fourth in free-throw attempts (658) behind Chapman (742), Ryan Perryman (706) and Horan (663).
Holmes started a 17-0 run against Nevada by making 1 of 2 free throws with 7:14 to play. He made two free throws to cut Nevada’s lead to 56-47 at the 5:13 mark. He made a go-ahead free throw to complete a 3-point play and give Dayton a 59-58 lead with 2:01 to play.
With 15 seconds to play, Nate Santos made two free throws to give Dayton a 63-60 lead.
“Nate all year has been very impressive,” guard Enoch Cheeks said. “He lives for big moments like that. He’s got that dog in him.”
Santos ranks second on the team in free-throws made and attempts (74 of 100, 74%). One game earlier in a 65-57 loss to Duquesne in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament, Dayton made 18 of 25 free throws. Cheeks and Santos missed the front end of 1-and-1s during the key stretch that saw Duquesne take control with a 10-0 run. This time, Santos delivered at the line.
“It’s funny because I told my brother and sister I was more nervous for some free throws earlier in the season,” Santos said, “just because I know how much this moment meant to my teammates and for me and everybody. So I just tried to go up there with full confidence and just to have a clear head.”
A-10 history: With Dayton beating Nevada and No. 11 seed Duquesne beating No. 6 BYU 71-67 on Thursday for its first March Madness victory since 1969, the A-10 had two chances Saturday to put a team in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014.
Here’s what the two victories meant for the conference.
■ This was the first time the A-10 won two first-round games since 2014 when Dayton and Saint Louis were the only teams from a group of six A-10 teams to win their opening games.
■ The last A-10 team to win two games was Dayton in 2014. The No. 11 seed Flyers beat Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford before losing to Florida in the Elite Eight.
■ The A-10 has not sent two teams to the Sweet 16 since 2004 when Saint Joseph’s and Xavier reached the Elite Eight.
■ Duquesne and Dayton are the first A-10 teams to win an NCAA tournament game since No. 12 seed Richmond beat No. 5 Iowa 67-63 in the first round in 2022. Last year, No. 12 seed VCU lost 63-51 to No. 5 Saint Mary’s in the first round.
Entering Saturday, when Dayton played Arizona and Duquesne played No. 3 seed Illinois, the A-10 had lost six second-round games in a row.
In 2022, Richmond lost 79-51 to No. 4 Providence in the second round.
In 2018, No. 7 seed Rhode Island beat No. 10 Oklahoma before losing to No. 2 Duke.
In 2017, No. 11 Rhode Island beat No. 6 Creighton before losing to No. 3 Oregon.
In 2016, No. 8 Saint Joseph’s beat No. 9 Cincinnati before losing to No. 1 Oregon, and No. 10 VCU beat No. 7 Oregon State before losing to No. 2 Oklahoma.
In 2015, No. 11 Dayton beat No 11 Boise State and No. 6 Providence before losing to No. 3 Oklahoma.
Former Flyers: Two players who started their college careers at Dayton made their NCAA tournament debuts Friday.
■ Mustapha Amzil, now at New Mexico after three seasons at UD, had three points and three rebounds in 14 minutes. No. 11 seed New Mexico lost 77-56 to No. 6 seed Clemson.
In that same game, Chaminade-Julienne graduate Daniel Nauseef, a walk-on junior forward at Clemson, got on the court in the final minute.
■ Frankie Policelli, who played at Dayton in the 201819 season, had 15 points in 24 minutes for No. 13 seed Charleston in a 109-96 loss to No. 4 Alabama. Policelli transferred to Stony Brook after one season with the Flyers, redshirted in the 201920 season and then played three seasons there before heading to Charleston for his final season of eligibility.