By Hal McCoy
Philadelphia, PA. — The City of Brotherly Love was anything but love for the University of Dayton Flyers basketall troupe Wednesday night.
LaSalle Universtiy apparently was not impressed nor intimidated by Las Vegas installing UD as 10 1/2-point favorites to win its sixth straight Atlantic 10 Conference game.
The Explorers (7-13, 3-4) pulled off a 67-64 upset in near-empty Glaser Arena.
That the Flyers were able to nearly escape the defeat was a feat in itself, a feat that fell just short when Javon Bennett’s last-second three-point attempt caromed off the back of the rim.
Why was it a near-feat?
At one time in the first half the Flyers trailed by 25 points. They were playing Rip Van Winkle defense and found themselves down, 33-8 with nine minutes left in the first half.
They were able to trim that mountainous deficit to 40-29 by halftime.
During intermission, the Flyers decided to quit thinking about Philly cheesestakes, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall or whatever they were thinking about other than basketball.
They began chipping away in the second half after LaSalle led, 56-45, with 12 1/2-minutes left.
The Flyers used their pressure defense and went on an 11-2 run and drew within two, 58-56, with 6:47 left.
From there it was a mad scramble and for a short bit neither team acted as if a victory was its objective.
Javon Bennett, asked to play all 40 minutes, had the ball stolen when the Flyers could have tied or taken the league.
LaSalle’s Rob Dockery missed four straight free throws, but the Flyers perpertrated two straight turnovers.
So it was LaSalle 62, Dayton 58 with five minutes left. From there it was all Keonte Jones for the Flyers. Jones was the one UD player who showed up to play.
He scored Dayton’s final eight points en route to a solid night of 6 for 8 shooting and 10 rebounds for a double-double of 14 points and the 10 rebounds.
His drive to the basket with 4 1/2 minutes left trimmed LaSalle’s margin to a slim 60-58.
After a LaSalle basket, Jones again bulldozed his way to the basket to score and was fouled. He missed the free throw, leaving UD behind 62-60.
The Flyers, with a change to tie or take the lead, committed another of their 13 turnovers and the Explorers’ Jaiden Marshall was fouled on a three-point attempt with 2:32 remaining.
Marshall was two hands full for the Flyers all evening. When he made all three free throws it gave him 25 points — 7 for 11 (4 for 7 from three) and 7 for 7 from the foul line.
His three freebies pushed LaSalle back to a 65-62 lead before Jones struck again, a poster jam/dunk off a missed shot, drawing the Flyers within one, 65-64, with 2:05 left.
The Flyers had a chance to take the lead and perhaps rescue a victory, but De’Shayne Montgomery missed a three with a minute to go.
That forced the Flyers to foul and Jerome Brewer made two free throws for a 67-64 lead with :24.2 left.
UD coach Anthony Grant called a timeout to draw up a play and everybody knew. . .the LaSalle team, the sparse crowd and every one of the several Benjamin Franklin statues scattered across Philadelphia. . .Javon Bennett would take the shot.
Bennett, who never left the floor the entire 40 minutes, certainly was leg weary. His three-point attempt at 06.5 clanked off the back of the rim.
And the Flyers slinked off the floor with a damaging defeat.
It was an off-night for Bennett — 4 for 14 and 1 for 7 from three. And it was an off-night for Montgomery — 4 for 12 and 1 for 7 from three.
The Flyers were an ugly 3 for 23 from three-point acreage.
Bennett and Montgomery were not the only grounded
Flyers. Amael L’Etang, playing his second game after missing several games with a lower body injury, entered the game midway through the second half and quickly committed two turnovers and missed a three-pointer. He trudged back to the bench and played only 4 1/2 minutes. He did not see the floor in the second half.
Malcolm Thomas returned after also missing several games with an ankle injury, played 8 1/2 minutes and made the only shot he took.
Jauin Simon took only four shots the entire game and made three. For the Flyers, it was all about Jones, especially down the stretch.
The Flyers (14-5, 5-1) remain in Philadelphia for a Saturday night engagement against St. Joseph’s, a much tougher opponent than LaSalle with an 11-8 record, 3-3 in the A10.