DAYTON – The University of Dayton men's basketball team defeated Lindenwood in the regular season opener for both teams on Monday by a score of 73-46.

The Flyers were led by redshirt sophomore Mustapha Amzil, who had 14 points and five rebounds.  Sophomore DaRon Holmes II and redshirt sophomore R.J. Blakney also recorded 13 points each.  

GAME BREAKDOWN 

1st Half: Dayton 35, Lindenwood 21

• Freshman Mike Sharavjamts started his collegiate career by nailing a corner three 31 seconds into the game.  
• The Flyers continued onto an early 10-2 run converting on three-pointers by Sharavjamts  and R.J. Blakney as well as a pair of dunks by DaRon Holmes II.
• At the first media timeout the Flyers had a 12-5 lead thanks to shooting 100% (5-5) from the field. 
• Mustapha Amzil was the first substitution for the Flyers and kept the scoring going as he was fouled on a three-point attempt, extending the lead to 18-7. 
• Through 10 minutes of action the Flyers played strong full-court defense holding the Lions to just nine points on 30% shooting while forcing them to commit four turnovers. 
• Scoring six straight points, Kobe Elvis gave the Flyers a commanding 28-11 lead with 7:17 in the half. 
• Sharavjamts continued to show his versatility as he found Toumani Camara cutting through the lane for a dunk adding to his impressive first half of Division 1 basketball. 
• The Flyers dished out eight assists compared to the Lions' three. 
• Free throws were a deciding factor in the first half as Dayton shot 66.7% (8-11) while Lindenwood only made one free throw in as many tries. 

2nd Half: Dayton 73, Lindenwood 46

• Lindenwood started the half with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to within nine with 18:11 remaining in the game.
• The Flyers responded with a 6-0 run of their own over the next few minutes to extend their halftime lead.
• UD started play inside, scoring 12 of their first 14 points of the half in the paint. 
• Lindenwood's offense did not have an answer for Dayton's defense, as the team shot 0-10 during a span of over nine minutes.
• Heading into the third media timeout, the Flyers held a commanding 49-31 lead, led by Blakney and Amzil as they scored four points each. 
• The Flyers picked up the pace after that timeout, going on a 18-3 run over the next four minutes. Blakney led the team with eight points during the run. 
• At the final media timeout, the Flyers had jumped out to a 67-34 lead. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Five Flyers hit double digits, Mustapha Amzil (14), DaRon Holmes II (13) , RJ Blakney (13), Kobe Elvis (10), and Mike Sharavjamts (10). 
• Dayton totaled 42 rebounds, with junior Toumani Camara collecting a team-high 11.
• UD racked up 19 assists on 24 made baskets, with Mike Sharavjamts and Kobe Elvis leading the team with five apiece.
• Sharavjamts did not have a turnover in 29 minutes of action, while Elvis had just two. also in 29 minutes.
• The Flyers had six blocks, with Toumani Camara and DaRon Holmes II leading the way with two each.
• Holmes led UD in +/- with a +29.  He also drew seven fouls in the game.
• Dayton dominated the fastbreak, scoring Lindenwood 18-2 on the break.  
• UD held the lead for the entire game.
• Freshmen Mike Sharavjamts,  Cole Hatkevich, Ty Locklear, and Atticus Schuler all appeared in their first collegiate games of their careers.

UP NEXT

• The Flyers will host Southern Methodist University (SMU) Friday, November 11th at UD Arena for their second regular season game.
• Game time is 7 p.m. ET.