The first-place Dayton Flyers (12-3, 2-1) seek to put the Fordham loss behind them as they journey to Amherst, MA, on Thursday for a showdown with Massachusetts (8-7, 2-1). Dayton also looks to squash yet another road losing streak by attempting to master an Atlantic-10 venue.

This time around however, the Flyers won’t be playing in the barnbox-type gymnasium seen throughout the conference. The Mullins Center, which seats 9,500, has hosted its fair share of great crowds and great teams. Strangely enough, Dayton has performed better in larger road arenas such as Gund, Cintas, MECCA, and The Pit. Nothing beats execution. The Flyers shot 32% from the field, under 55% from the foul line, and 4-20 from three-point land in Saturday’s game at Fordham. They have shot poorly from the line (under 60%) in their last two road losses, which is out of character. Needless to say, things must change or the song remains the same.

Dayton — Tony Stanley in particular — must contend with a very talented Monty Mack. The senior guard is blazing the nets at nearly 20ppg. Mack is just as capable on the defensive end, nabbing 32 steals this season. The Stanley/Mack pairing should be one of the better matchups this season.

Put plainly, David Morris and Edwin Young need to show up on Thursday. Dayton’s two point guards are 7-18 from the field with eight rebounds in the last two games on the road. To make matters worse, the Minutemen are forcing 17 turnovers a game. Morris needs to find that game he had at New Mexico. Another interesting matchup should take place between senior Mark Ashman and junior Kitwana Rhymer. While Rhymer is not much of a scoring threat, his 33 blocks should raise a few eyebrows in the film session. He also corralled a career-best 17 rebounds at Connecticut. Ashman had another solid performance on Saturday, collecting 16 points and 13 rebounds for UD. The experienced center and resurgent Yuanta Holland should give the Flyers an edge in the paint.

Outside shooting will be the key again. Against Fordham, the Flyers took 20 more shots than the Rams, yet managed nine fewer points. Dayton must be patient in their offense, much like they were against Kentucky. Young and Morris need to pace the offense, looking for Ashman and Holland first and foremost.

Defensively, both teams are comparable in terms of scoring defense and FG% defense. However, the Flyers can focus on Mack, Kirkland, and Crooks while the Minutemen face a more diversified scoring threat. Six players for UD average better than 8ppg vs. three for UMass.

Dayton enters Thursday’s contest looking for its first win in Amherst. Bruiser Flint’s club is having another mediocre year by UMass standards. With slumping attendance and lack-luster recruiting, Flint is looking to pull out a solid season. A win over Dayton would help the cause, and add to the growing Minutemen confidence.

On the flip side, the Flyers can ill-afford many road losses. Come March, losses away from the Arena will prove that Dayton has become an average ball club since the Kentucky victory. The NCAA Selection Committee will pass on a team that can’t overcome a Fordham on the road — considering tournament games aren’t played at home.