The Flyer Faithful were not only treated to a great UD victory Tuesday night at a sold out UD Arena, but a historic one as the Flyers notched their 500th victory at UD Arena.
"The reason we have 500 wins is the greatest fans in the world, the Flyer Faithful. Thank you so much," said UD coach Brian Gregory who is now 125-68 at the helm.
On the floor, the night belonged to Rob Lowery who is just starting to regain his fitness coming off a knee injury. Lowery has provided a much-needed spark to the UD offense playing with great confidence and determination.
"Rob is a dynamic player and there is no question about it,” said coach Gregory. “It's good to see him get back into form. We have guys that can make plays and he is one of those guys.”
Lowery scored a career high 23 points on 8-10 shooting, 7 of those field goals coming from behind the arc. His intensity, scoring mentality and ability to run the offense makes UD a totally different team. Combined with London Warren, UD now has a pair of point guards who will wreak havoc on opposing guards with their in your face style of play that will only benefit other UD scorers like Chris Wright and Chris Johnson.
And both Chris’ did benefit on this night, and in rather emphatic fashion. Chris Wright had 5 slams though none more incredible than the half-court lob pass from London Warren that sent the crowd of 13,435 into a frenzy.
Wright finished with 19 points and 8 rebounds, while Chris Johnson played a very efficient 16 minutes tallying 12 points and 4 rebounds after missing time with a concussion. Both players showed signs of improvement during a very emotional game.
“It means a lot to me with all of the guys who paved the way for us to be in this situation. It was great for us and it was emotional as well,” said Chris Wright.
The Flyers now have two days to prepare for a crucial New Years Day game at No. 17 New Mexico (12-1) who just knocked off No. 24 Texas Tech to remain unbeaten at home. The game tips at 9pm ET from The Pit.
On a night when the Flyers were missing their second, third and fourth leading scorers, starters extended their minutes and reserves stepped up their play to defeat the Mountaineers.
Chris Johnson, Marcus Johnson and Luke Fabrizius could only watch as their teammates took to the floor Saturday night. There was a some cause for concern early as Appalachian State, like Presbyterian just two nights before, came out scorching from three-point land making 4 of their first 5. The Flyers inconsistency early on was understandable considering the injuries, though after the 33-33 tie with 15:49 in the second half, UD put it in cruise control paced by Mickey Perry’s hot shooting en route to a 65-49 victory.
"We just take what the defense gives us,” said Perry. “If they are at the rim or outside, we are betting with driving and playing to our strengths.”
And Perry did just that netting a career-high 15 points and playing with good poise as the Flyers only turned the ball over 7 times.
The Flyers defense also answered the call holding the Mountaineers to 35% from the field and forcing 17 turnovers.
UD looks for school win No. 500 against Boston University next Tuesday, December 29 at 7pm at UD Arena.
Quickly glancing at the final box score and seeing a 71-52 win by the Flyers (8-2), one naturally would have little reason for concern.
Unfortunately, the dominant storyline coming out of the UD win Saturday night was the shaky first-half and injuries to key guards Marcus and Chris Johnson.
“We didn’t play very well in the first half,” said UD coach Brian Gregory. “We didn’t defend the way we’re capable of defending, and they made some shots.”
The Blue Hose of Presbyterian came out hot making their first four 3-pointers en route to a 12-6 advantage. They finished the half shooting 6-12 from beyond the arc and trailed UD by only one at the half.
Poor half-court defense and ineffective offense, coupled with the two injuries hampered the Flyers in the early going.
A little over a minute into the game, UD’s most versatile guard Chris Johnson was blindsided by a screen while defending Presbyterian point guard Travis Smith. Johnson was in obvious pain from the collision and looked dazed as he was helped from the floor. For now, it is being called a concussion and will sideline him the Appalachian State game, and possibly longer.
Just a few minutes later in what proved to be one of UD’s worst halves this year, Marcus Johnson came down awkwardly on his left ankle after leaping to block a layup. The initial report was that it was a sprain, though Johnson did not return to action after the fall. Be sure to check the blog for updates as they will be posted when information is made available about both injuries.
The result of losing both Johnson’s for much of the first and entire second half was an increase in playing time for guards Mickey Perry (15 points), Paul Williams (8 rebounds) and Rob Lowery (7 points, 4 rebounds) as he returns from a knee injury.
Though the most important play came from the post where Kurt Huelsman, Devin Searcy and Josh Benson collectively accounted for 24 points, 17 rebounds and solid interior defense. Granted, Presbyterian is not the most talented or physical team, but there were obvious signs of growth from all three post players.
When asked what he has been learning in getting more playing time this season, Benson tersely replied, “Just be ready.”
He and his post teammates were just that tonight, and their play will be integral in UD’s continued success. The Flyers play host to Appalachian State (7-4) Monday night at 8pm at UD Arena.
A common theme from UD coach Brian Gregory this season has been his consistent and insistent expectation of his team to get better every day. This message is commonplace among coaches at any level. Though I would argue that what separates the good from the great is how much the team matures during a season.
What is the difference between a team progressing and maturing you may ask. To being, a few aspects of UD’s progression would be their ability to make open jump shots with better consistency, play more disciplined and intense team defense and make rebounding an even bigger priority. These types of improvements relate more to the fundamental parts of the game.
Maturity lends itself more to the team's focus, attention to detail and basketball IQ.
It’s about knocking down that short jumper instead of trying to jump over and posterize a defender obviously risking a charge (and an injury). It’s about taking a split second to scan a zone defense to find an open teammate instead of throwing the ball to where that specific play dictates, without looking first. It’s about approaching a game you are “supposed to win” with the same fire and determination as if Xavier was in town. It’s about looking at a 10-point lead not as a luxury, but as an opportunity to extend the lead to 20 points or more.
All of this maturity leads to UD’s need to develop a killer instinct. I have alluded to his on the air on various occasions, but when the Flyers learn to sustain their energy level and concentration, this team’s talent will allow them to be a force to be reckoned with. Even with Luke Fabrizius’ injury that will sideline him until January, there is no lack of scoring ability, rebounding prowess or athleticism on this year’s Flyer squad.
The key to unlocking this potential is dependent on the team’s maturity and ability to transfer the instruction from the practice floor to the games. UD’s senior leaders need to make this a priority if they want to make this season a successful one.
And when UD does start to put it all together, I’d hate to be the guy trying to defend a Flyer fast break.
Capping off five wins in 13 days, the Flyers edged a gritty Old Dominion squad keyed by great poise and intensity down the stretch.
In a game that was in the balance for the first 35 minutes, UD’s defense prevailed surrendering just 2 points over the last 3:51. Just as important as the team’s defense was Marcus Johnson’s three-pointer doubling the Flyer lead to 6 with 2:33 to play igniting the Flyer Faithful.
“I thought Marcus played his best game of the year,” said coach UD Brian Gregory. “He was good in every facet of the game which is what you come to expect from him.”
Marcus’ performance came at a very opportune time for UD as Old Dominion is one of the best defensive teams in the nation. Coming into the game, ODU gave up a mere 53 points per game while outrebounding opponents by over 9 per game. Coming off an emotional game at George Mason on Tuesday, it was nice to see the Flyers hold up for 40 minutes against a well-coached, defensive minded ODU team that were very capable of springing an upset.
“I love teams that know who they are and know how they have to win and everyday just go out and do it. And that’s exactly what Old Dominion does,” said coach Brian Gregory.
Concerns still linger about the Flyers ability to beat zone defenses and play strong enough defense against opposing wing players. That said, Coach Gregory and his talented staff understand these challenges and I believe they make the necessary improvements in these areas. The boost Rob Lowery will provide as he regains his fitness will be integral to the team’s progression since he possesses a scoring mentality from the point guard position. Controlling opposing guard’s penetration will also be vital moving forward.
Finally, Luke Fabrizius left the game after he and Paul Williams collided in the first half. It is reportedly a moderate MCL sprain, but tune into the Dayton Sports Scene this Monday at 5pm as Mark Neal and I update you on Luke’s status and talk UD hoops.
Just as Flyer fans thought this team had broken their habit of playing to their competition and were ready to show their killer instinct, the second half of tonight’s game began.
Discounting the opening two minutes, the Flyers played an absolutely fantastic first half outscoring George Mason 35-19, out-hustling the Patriots and playing their best half of defense surrendering just one field goal over a 14-minute span.
"The first half was as good a half as we have played this year. We did a great job on the boards, executed what we wanted to on offense and defense and did a really good job of communicating and playing together when we had to ad-lib,” said UD coach Brian Gregory.
As the second half began, the wave of momentum and confidence the Flyers were riding crashed. Hard.
“I’m disappointed with the second half, but we’re flying home with another road win,” said UD coach Brian Gregory.
George Mason began to find their offensive rhythm that had led them to win their previous 18 home games. UD’s defensive breakdowns and futile offensive attack allowed the Patriots to go on a 13-0 run of their own and following an Andre Cornelius 3-pointer, George Mason cut the UD lead to two with 10 seconds to play.
For those of you wondering who bailed out the Flyers yet again, I’ll give you one guess and the answer should come as no surprise … Chris Johnson! Proving he’s is without doubt UD’s most reliable and consistent player, Johnson was the only Flyer in double figures scoring 14 points but none bigger than the two free throws following Cornelius’ three-pointer to seal the victory. The super sophomore stepped up and knocked down both shots making him the only Flyer this year to reach double figures in every game this season.
Another piece of encouraging news was the play from the center position. Kurt Huelsman and Devin Searcy combined for 12 points, 7 rebounds and good interior defense. Searcy has now put together two strong games back to back after scoring 13 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting from the field against Lehigh.
The Flyers will be back in action for a rare Friday night game against Old Dominion at UD Arena. The game is scheduled to start at 7pm.
The Flyers jumped out to an 11-point first-half lead and didn’t look back as they cruised to an easy victory against Lehigh.
Chris Wright had a strong performance leading the Flyers with 16 points on 8-13 shooting and pulling down 10 rebounds. Chris Johnson added 13 points and has now reached double-digit scoring in every game this year.
“We did a very good job on the glass,” said UD Coach Brian Gregory. “Chris Wright set the tone for that early with some tremendous defensive rebounds.”
In fact, the Flyers outrebounded an undersized Lehigh club by 15, including a season high 14 offensive rebounds.
Coupled with the rebounding, the Flyers defensive effort was much improved over the Towson game holding Patriot League favorite Lehigh to just 42% shooting and forcing 16 turnovers.
“Defensively our pressure was good,” said Coach Gregory. “Seven days ago we couldn’t guard anybody. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made.”
Another bright spot for UD was the return of point guard Rob Lowery who has recovered from a knee injury. Lowery seemed in synch connecting on his three shots including two from beyond the arc.
Lowery provides the Flyers with even more depth at the guard position. His shooting ability will be key since the Flyers will likely see more zone defenses aimed at shutting down driving lanes. If Lowery can defend well and be a strong floor leader, look for him to be playing big minutes during Atlantic 10 play.
The Flyers return to action next Tuesday when they visit George Mason at 7pm. Be sure to tune into The Dayton Sports Scene with Mark Neal next Tuesday at 5pm as Mark and I will be discussing the win against Lehigh and previewing the George Mason game.
What does consistent double-figure scoring, tenacious rebounding and strong defense get you on a Brian Gregory coached team? For Chris Johnson it was a promotion to the starting lineup, and he did not disappoint.
Johnson scored 13 points, corralled 8 rebounds while adding 4 steals and 3 blocks.
"It's a great win for us. Miami of Ohio is a great team, a well-coached team,” said Johnson. “We just came in and played hard for 40 minutes."
The Flyers as a whole continued their shaky and streaky play falling behind 18-8 after 9 minutes of play. As usual, UD clawed back to a 2-point lead following Chris Wright’s free-throws to end the first half. Wright ended with a team high 14 points.
The Flyers controlled much of the second half until Rodney Hadix connected on a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 3 with 1:15 to play. The Flyers sealed the 65 - 58 victory with 6 clutch free-throws down the stretch by seniors London Warren and Marcus Johnson, as well as super sophomore Paul Williams.
It will be evident to Flyer fans when this team gets to the next level. In the second half, UD had numerous opportunities to increase their small lead. I don’t mean to take anything away from Miami (OH) who took No. 4 Kentucky to the wire and have an excellent coach in Charlie Coles, but great teams have a killer instinct and can put teams away in the second half. When UD develops their own killer instinct, they will propel themselves back to the top 25.
Saturday’s tip-off against Lehigh is slated for 2pm at UD Arena.
