In the pregame report I posted yesterday afternoon, I praised the virtues of Virginia Tech forward Rolan Roberts for his no-quit hustle and physical prowess. Roberts, true to form, showcased his skills with an 18 point, 13 rebound performance as the Hokies manhandled the Flyers 64-52 at Cassell Coliseum in the regular season finale for both programs. Dayton falls to 21-7 (11-5) while Tech improves to 15-14 (8-8).

Dayton got off to a rocky start as Virginia Tech capitalized on several early Flyer turnovers to build an 11-3 lead early in the game. With Dayton sputtering, the Hokies penalized UD with several offensive stick-backs as the Flyers gave Tech multiple scoring chances on each possession.

With Dayton falling behind, the team called on one of their strengths as Brooks Hall nailed a trey, Morris nailed a trey, and Hall dialed in again as UD scored from long range on three straight possessions to retake the lead. Dayton held a 20-16 lead and carried it throughout the remainder of the half. The Flyers had a chance to take a 5-pt cushion into the locker room, but Tech nailed a basket with under a minute remaining and hit a free throw with 0.7 left on the game clock after a Flyer turnover trying to hold for the last possession. Dayton held a 28-26 halftime advantage.

While the first half was close and competitive, the second half wasn’t. Virginia Tech scored early and often as the final half got underway while the Flyers went ice cold — so cold in fact that UD managed just two points in the first 11 minutes of the second half. When you can’t put the ball in the hoop, you aren’t going to win.

Tech opened a 10-pt lead midway through the second half and held on for the easy victory. The Hokie lead ballooned to 14 points on a couple occasions but the Flyers had nothing to answer it. After a late game on Thursday night, the Flyers had little time to prepare and catch their breath before tipping it off at Virginia Tech. Dayton just didn’t have the legs and energy to keep up with the Hokies who were jacked up for Senior Day and a chance to beat the A-10 West champions.

Tony Stanley — who jacked up a career-high 27pts in a 94-64 blowout of Duquesne on Thursday — scored just nine points in the game. But it wasn’t just Stanley. Nate Green relapsed once again and tried to do things he’s incapable of, while Brooks Hall had problems shooting the ball all afternoon. In Hall’s defense, the freshman from Troy, OH, nabbed 12 rebounds and continues to show people he can help the team in a number of ways when he’s not hitting from the outside.

Mark Ashman finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. For the Hokies, Brendan Dunlop finished with 14 points and five boards while freshman Brian Chase had 10 points and seven boards.

The Flyers will fly out of Blacksburg, VA, with an 0-5 record at Cassell Coliseum — including several heart-breakers in the last few years. The good news is Tech is leaving the A-10 and heading to the Big East next season and taking their home-court cooking with them.

The Flyers must now prepare for the impending A-10 Conference Tournament that starts next Wednesday at the First Union Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. Dayton, by virtue of winning the division, gets a first round bye and will play Thursday night against the winner of a first round game between St. Joseph’s and LaSalle. Dayton needs to reach at least the A-10 Semis and stabilize the ship as they head into the NCAA Tournament. Without a doubt, the Flyers will make the Big Dance, but it will be in their best interest to show the Selection Committee it can make a run in the conference tournament. As it stands, a Quarterfinal loss probably earns Dayton a #10-11 seed while one win earns a #8-9 seed and two victories a #6-8 seed.