DAYTON — The University of Dayton men’s basketball team will go on the road for a pair of tough games this week, starting Tuesday at St. Bonaventure. Game time is 8 p.m. ET.
Dayton is 14-6 overall, and 4-3 in the Atlantic 10. St. Bonaventure is 15-6 overall, and 3-5 in conference play. The Flyers have won three straight.
UD never trailed in a 77-72 win over Saint Joseph’s on Saturday. The Flyers led by as much 19 in the first half, and then made winning plays late after SJU had cut the margin to four. Nate Santo led all players in scoring (24 points) and rebounding (8). Joining Santos in double figures were Amaël L’Etang (14 points), Javon Bennett (12) and Malachi Smith (12). Smith also had eight assists.
The SBU game will be broadcast on WHIO Radio, televised on the YES Network, and streamed on ESPN+. Streaming audio, video and live stats will be at DaytonFlyers.com.
#TRENDING
• Nate Santos was named First Team Preseason All-Atlantic 10 after being named to the third team after last season.
• Santos’ 6-for-6 shooting performance from deep against Lehigh is the second-best in D-I. It is also the second-best ever at UD, behind Shawn Haugh’s 8-for-8 in 1993-94.
• Posh Alexander was named Second Team Preseason All-Atlantic 10 and to the Preseason All-Defensive Team. Alexander is a fifth-year transfer who already has 1,000 career points and 500 career assists (1,439 and 588 respectively). The fourth recruit from New York City in Anthony Grant‘s tenure at UD, he led the Big East in steals in each of the last four seasons (three at St. John’s and one at Butler).
• Enoch Cheeks was also named A-10 Preseason All-Defensive Team. He led the team in steals (40), was second in blocked shots (21), and was third in rebounding (4.7) in his first season at UD after transferring from Robert Morris. The Providence, R.I. native was the 2023-24 winner of UD’s Steve McElvene Award. Cheeks was consistently assigned the opponents’ top perimeter player on defense. In the 25 games (out of 33) where the Flyer foe’s top player was a guard or wing, that player was held under his average 17 times. He started in all 33 games and averaged 8.1 points per game (9.5 in A-10 play).
• The Dayton roster includes five players who have earned all-conference recognition in their past – junior forward Nate Santos (Atlantic 10), junior Enoch Cheeks (Horizon League). junior Javon Bennett (Northeast Conference), redshirt junior Malachi Smith (Atlantic 10) and fifth-year senior Posh Alexander (Big East).
• Amaël L’Etang was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week on Nov. 25. He scored 11 points (4-6 FG) in 13 minutes against New Mexico State.
• Cheeks was named the A-10 Player of the Week on Dec. 2 after averaging 15.7 points and 7.0 rebounds against North Carolina, Iowa State and UConn in Maui.
• Cheeks is 13th in the A-10 in rebounding (6.5), fifth in steals (2.0), and eighth in 3-pt. FG% (.416, 37-89). Of the top 15 A-10 rebounders, Cheeks is the shortest.
• Santos is fifth in the Atlantic 10 in 3-pt. FG% (.433, 45-104).
• Smith leads the A-10 in assists (6.0) and is third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8). Nationally, he is tied for 22nd in assists per game.
• Zed Key is eighth in FG% (.575, 61-104). He is tied for 20th in D-I for most dunks (34).
• As a team, Dayton leads the Atlantic 10 in FG% (.476, 527-1106) and 3-pt. FG% (.366, 159-436) and is second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.57). The Flyers are 53rd in Division I in FG% and 56th in 3-pt. FG%.
• This is the Flyers’ 30th season in the Atlantic 10, and UD won its 300th A-10 game on Jan. 21 at Duquesne.
• UD ranked 20th in average attendance in NCAA Division I last season, averaging a capacity crowd of 13,407 fans a game in 2023-24. Of schools in the top 25 in attendance, only Kansas, Purdue, Michigan State and UConn also sold out every game of the season.
• Dayton has already announced it has sold out every game for the upcoming 2024-25 season, including both exhibition games that have already been played. This will be the fourth consecutive year UD has sold out every home game. That streak is now 70 games.
• This is also the 55th anniversary season of UD Arena. The Arena underwent a $76.2 million transformation project that was completed in time for the 2019-20 season.
• The Flyers are wearing “DJD” on their left shoulder strap in memory of Don Donoher. Coach Donoher died last April at the age of 92. He was the first man to coach his alma mater in the NCAA tournament after appearing in it as a player. A member of the NABC College Basketball Hall of Fame, he is Dayton’s all-time winningest coach (437 wins). He was the 2017 winner of the USBWA’s Dean Smith Award.
UP NEXT
• The Flyers continue on to Saint Louis on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
• Dayton’s next home game is Tuesday, Feb. 4 when the Flyers host Davidson.
The men’s basketball team is gearing up for a tough matchup as they head to St. Bonaventure on Tuesday. The Bonnies are known for their strong defense and high-scoring offense, making them a formidable opponent for any team.
Our players have been putting in extra practice and preparation to ensure they are ready for the challenge ahead. With their eyes on the prize, they are determined to come out victorious in this crucial game.
Fans are encouraged to tune in and show their support as our team takes on St. Bonaventure. It’s sure to be an exciting game filled with intense competition and thrilling moments. Let’s cheer on our players as they aim for a big win on the road! Go team! #Basketball #GameDay #StBonaventure #GoTeam
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