The No. 21 Dayton Flyers will look to rebound from their first loss when they host Robert Morris on Saturday.
The Flyers (2-1) led UNLV 37-25 with just over 17 minutes left in the second half on Tuesday before going cold from the floor and getting sloppy with ball.
Playing their third game without sophomore starting point guard Malachi Smith, the Flyers committed 24 turnovers leading to 27 points, allowing the Rebels to outscore Dayton 35-15 down the stretch in a 60-52 UNLV victory.
“We’re going to be OK,” Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II said. “This is good for us. It’s adversity.”
In addition to Smith wearing a boot on his right foot, the Flyers are dealing with minor injuries to Holmes and forward Toumani Camara, both of whom left Tuesday’s game. Camara said after the game he tweaked his right knee in the first half and sat on the bench throughout the second half with ice on the knee.
The injury kept Camara out of the second half but he expects to play against Robert Morris. Holmes limped off the court 30 seconds into the second half with Dayton leading 32-22.
“I was trying to block a floater, and I landed on my bad ankle,” Holmes said. “That was really painful.”
Holmes also expects to play against the Colonials (2-1).
Kobe Elvis scored a season-high 16 points (13 in the first half) to lead Dayton while freshman Mike Sharavjamts added 14 on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
Mustapha Amzil led Dayton in rebounding (seven) and assists (three) in the game.
Robert Morris enters Saturday’s contest on the heels of a record-tying performance Wednesday in a 111-56 home rout of West Virginia Wesleyan in Pittsburgh.
Wednesday’s point total matched the program record, set previously in a 111-69 triumph over Ohio Wesleyan on Dec. 1, 1981.
Josh Corbin opened the game with a 3-pointer that set the tone for a barrage of shots from beyond the arc. The Colonials connected for 11 treys in the first half. Corbin finished 5 of 6 from deep in the first half, while Enoch Cheeks was 4 of 5 behind the arc as the Colonials sprinted to a 60-21 halftime lead.
“We had really good energy to start the game,” coach Andrew Toole said. “Defensively we stayed engaged for the majority of the 40 minutes. When you make shots at the rate we made them today, you’re going to win some games. We’ve got to remain locked in on that defensive and rebounding side.
“It’s human nature to look at the scoreboard. We talked at halftime about trying to maintain our energy level and focus. Every possession is an opportunity for us to get better in our defensive formula and for guys to learn, grow, get better and build trust with their teammates.”
Not only did Robert Morris match its single-game record for points in the romp over West Virginia Wesleyan, it was the most points scored by the Colonials since a 111-107 overtime loss at Seton Hall in 2007.
–Field Level Media
