Being a Flyer fan must be the toughest job in spectating. Just when you think Dayton has what it takes to put the road-game woes to bed for good, the Flyers remind us of our foolish hearts. Such was the case Sunday afternoon in Kingston as the Rhode Island Rams manhandled the Flyers 78-56 before a standing-room only crowd at Keaney Gym. Dayton’s record falls to 7-6 (2-1) while URI improved to 8-7 (1-1).

A poor showing in nearly every statistical category, Dayton continues to lack the road toughness and discipline to win important games away from the UD Arena. Unlike the strong performance against UC in the Rock n’ Roll Shootout, Dayton played timid, without emotion, and very unsound for 40 minutes.

The Flyers were led in scoring by Tony Stanley with 14 points while Mark Ashman added 13 points and Cain Doliboa 11.

The Rams got off to a fast start as 6-10 sensation Lamar Odom took the team under his guidance and helped build a 12-2 lead. The Flyers were just a couple of baskets from getting blown out but Purnell’s team fought back to within three at 18-15 when Andy Metzler provided a spark off the bench.

Just when the Flyers looked like they were back in the game however, URI went on a 12-0 run and coasted to a 31-20 halftime lead despite Lamar Odom’s two fouls.
Tony Stanley had several good first-half scoring opportunities from behind the arc, but every shot hit the front of the rim. With Stanley unable to buy a basket, and other Flyers unable to connect as well, URI used UD’s misses to play a transition game and force tempo. Once the tempo picked up, Dayton was in trouble.

The second half started just like the first — and like so many prior Flyer contests — with UD going cold. The Rams took no time in building an 18pt lead before Dayton finally relaced the shoes and starting giving a more-inspired effort. With some outside shooting from Cain Doliboa and a few Mark Ashman baskets, UD cut the lead to as few as 9 points while Odom was resting on the bench. Once Harrick put his superstar back in the game however, Dayton went south once again and fell apart.

While Odom’s 26 points led all scorers in the game, it was his rebounding and passing that made his presence such a mismatch. When Odom was on the court, Rhode Island played with confidence, but when he was off the court, the Flyers were more competitive. Still, Odom alone did not beat the Flyers. Antonio Reynolds-Dean, Tavorris Bell, and Ed Brown tore apart the Flyers with easy offensive stick-backs, blocked shots, and thunderous dunks.

Sunday’s effort was the worst of the year since UD’s 76-62 loss to Miami (OH) in the third game of the season. The Flyers have enough talent to beat quality teams on the road, but they lack the confidence and discipline to stick with Oliver Purnell’s game plan. Dayton forced at least a dozen poor shots, failed to make the extra pass, and loafed it on transition defense throughout the contest. With home losses to Toledo and Louisville, Sunday’s game was a must-win to make up for the early-season disappointments. Now there is even more pressure to beat GW and LaSalle in the final two legs of this road trip. Even if UD wins the rest of their home games, Purnell must find a way to win 4-5 road games or else it will be another year in the NIT.

For the game, Dayton shot a miserable 19-69 (.275%) from the field while URI lit up the nets for .517% shooting. Stanley connected on only 4-17 shots and played frustrated all afternoon but finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals – solid numbers. If Stanley can accumulate these stats on an off-night throughout the year, his future is certainly bright. Coby Turner continues to be an offensive no-show, going 0-7 from the field by taking very bad shots that were not in Oliver Purnell’s game plan. Turner’s lone positive was 8 rebounds in 28 minutes.

Freshman David Morris played 25 minutes due to an injury to Edwin Young. Morris played very well, ran the offense with authority, and scored 5 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, dished out two assists, and picked up 5 steals. Though he shot only 1-5 from the field, his leadership and decision-making were a nice surprise when everyone else was struggling.

UD got hammered on the glass 51-30, giving up an easy 15 points on offensive stick-backs by Rhode Island’s aggressive leapers. Even Ed Brown, URI’s version of Oliver Miller, schooled Dayton for 9 points and 5 rebounds despite his limited mobility and offensive firepower.

Dayton’s next game is Thursday against George Washington. The Flyers must improve 100% between now and then or Dayton could end up with another 20pt beating.