Photo credit: Dayton men’s basketball
By Scott Greaney (@ScottGreaney_)
After a promising 3-1 start to A-10 conference play, the Revolutionaries (14-7, 3-5 A10) now find themselves on a four-game skid, after a sound defeat at Dayton by the score of 83-61. Having allowed 80 points in each of these losses, Coach Caputo’s squad now returns to the drawing board looking to recover their flow on offense and reconstruct their defensive scheme.
Heading into Tuesday’s matchup, both teams were eager for redemption following unexpected defeats. GW had a head-scratching loss against La Salle in the Smith Center, while Dayton was stormed off the court at Richmond, who currently leads the A-10 at 7-0.
In the first 10 minutes of the opening half, it looked as if GW had finally found its defense again, limiting the Flyers (17-3, 7-1 A10) to just 12 points on 25% shooting from the field. However, GW couldn’t respond with any offense during this period, missing nine of their first 10 shots.
Dayton’s junior forward Nate Santos carried most of the weight in the first half, scoring all of his 17 points in the opening period. He was largely responsible for the Flyers’ 14-point lead at halftime, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and knocking down three shots from beyond the arc in the half. In the opening 20 minutes, the Revolutionaries kept A-10 Player of the Year front-runner and junior forward Da’Ron Holmes II largely quiet, limiting him to just nine points on four shot attempts and seven rebounds.
“It got away from us a little bit because of a couple of turnovers and shooting, but I thought we did a pretty good job in the first half at times of mixing it up, playing them straight up, and doubling,” Head Coach Chris Caputo said.
“You try to mix it up as best you can. I thought for a little bit of the game that was actually not so bad for us, but again, on the offensive end, we couldn’t get anything going so we couldn’t keep the game closer,” Caputo said.
Coming out of halftime, a 14-point lead seemed understandable considering the Revs shot 2-for-14 from deep. However, the trend would ultimately stay the same as GW shot 3-for-15 in the second half, which allowed Dayton’s commentators to continue bashing GW’s offense.
Holmes came to life in the second half, exploding for 16 points in the half, ultimately finishing with 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. With the contest effectively decided by the under-8 media timeout, Holmes subbed out to a standing ovation as both teams allowed their younger players to step in.
“This was never going to be a get-well game.. but I hoped it was a get-better game. I thought we did compete, it could’ve gotten away, real away from us, and I thought our young guys fought there in the second half,” Caputo said.
After all, Tuesday’s loss is not a surprise to anyone who has watched either Dayton or GW this season. Dayton is a bonafide NCAA Tournament team capable of making a serious run in March. Da’Ron Holmes will almost definitely be a first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft, and his improved 3-point shot can boost his potential of going in the lottery.
However, the manner in which GW has lost its last 4 games is some cause for concern. Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen the once-smooth, gunslinging offense turn into a system that lives and dies by the three. “I feel like we haven’t made a three in about 10 days,” Caputo said.
Besides Darren Buchanan Jr. always finding a way to get to his right hand going downhill, GW has largely avoided attacking the rim on this 4-game skid. A week-long break for the Revolutionaries couldn’t be arriving at a more opportune time as they look to get back on track.
GW will return home to host Rhode Island (9-11, 3-4 A10) next Tuesday in the Charles E. Smith Center. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+ and WRGW.
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