 |
In his three non-starts, Jalen Robinson is averaging 9.0 points and shooting 13-of-23 (.565) from the field. |
Tickets | UD Arena
Streaming Audio | Live Stats | Free Live Video
DAYTON HOSTS NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON SATURDAY NIGHT
The University of Dayton Flyers begin the month of December against the Northern Illinois Huskies Saturday at 8 p.m. on Tom Blackburn Court. The game will be televised on WHIO, carried by WHIO Radio and are available with live video, stats and streaming audio at DaytonFlyers.com.
Kevin Dillard, a First Team Pre-Season All-Atlantic 10 selection, leads Dayton in scoring (15.7 ppg), assists (4.2 apg) and free throw percentage (.882). Josh Benson matched his career-high with nine rebounds against Weber State. At home Benson has been a top performer, averaging 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. Devin Oliver in his last four contests is averaging 13.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and shooting .576 from the field.
ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Northern Illinois Huskies come into Dayton 1-4 overall and looking for their first road victory of the season. One of the Husky assistants, Jon Borovich, was a former assistant coach and director of basketball operations for the Flyers under coach Brian Gregory. The Huskies have struggled offensively this season averaging 54.8 points per game. Akeem Springs leads NIU averaging 10.5 points per game, while Sam Mader comes off the bench averaging 8.4 points and hitting 59 percent of his field goals. The Huskies are out-rebounding opponents by 5.4 per game and are plus-1.8 in turnover margin.
SERIES STUFF
Dayton leads the all-time series 1-0. The only meeting came on Feb. 15, 1967 when the Flyers won 101-60.
THE CLOSERS
Clutch free throw shooting in the final two minutes of the game is nothing new for the Flyers under coach Archie Miller. UD in 2012-13 is shooting 15-of-19 (.789) at the charity stripe in the last two minutes. Kevin Dillard is 6-of-6, while Josh Benson has converted both of his attempts. Vee Sanford and Dyshawn Pierre are 3-of-4 in the final two minutes as well. Dayton shot .840 (110-131) from the free throw line in the last two minutes of games in 2011-12.
OTHER NOTES
• Dayton ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage (.465) and defensive rebounding (29.8).
• In Archie Miller’s two seasons as head coach, Dayton is 10-0 when the Flyers shoot 40 percent or better from beyond the arc.
• Dayton went 2-1 at the 2012 Charleston Classic. The Flyers defeated the Boston College Eagles and Auburn Tigers and lost to the eventual champion Colorado Buffaloes.
• The Flyers are 18-8 against BCS opponents in the last six seasons. Dayton is 6-3 under coach Archie Miller’s tenure against the power conferences with wins against Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Minnesota, Ole Miss and Wake Forest.
• During the early signing period, Archie Miller announced the addition of three top high school players to letters of intent: guards Kyle Davis, Kendall Pollard and Dayshon “Scoochie” Smith. Two signees (Davis and Smith) are Rivals.com Top 125 players. This is the first time UD has had more than one Top 125 player in a single class.
• In his last four games, Kevin Dillard is averaging 18.0 points on .556 shooting from the field, .875 at the free throw line and has nine steals.
• Dillard is also the only Flyer to score in double figures in all six games this year.
• Dillard has at least one assist in each of his 39 career games in a Flyer uniform.
• Vee Sanford has been solid in three home games this season. He is averaging 14.3 points per game and shooting .500 (17-of-34) from the field.
• Devin Oliver continues to produce at an efficient level on the glass. He leads the Flyers in overall rebounding (8.3 rpg) and offensive rebounds (16).
• Jalen Robinson has become Dayton’s top performer off the bench. In his two non-starts, he is averaging 9.0 points and shooting 13-of-23 (.565) from the field.
• Josh Benson is producing at a similar clip as he did last season before his torn ACL. In 2012-13, Benson is averaging 10.3 points. Last year, he scored 10.9 ppg in non-conference action.
• Dyshawn Pierre was the first freshman, first Canadian and first player making his first career start to score a minimum of 20 points by making at least eight FG, five 3-pt FG and two free throws without missing a single shot when he scored 23 in the Boston College win.
• The Flyers have shot 70 percent or better at the free throw line in all but one game this year.
• UD has also out-rebounded every opponent in all but one game as well.
• Dayton is coming off a postseason bid for the fifth straight year. The Flyers went to the NIT for the third straight season.
