DAYTON — The University of Dayton men’s basketball team is in Philadelphia for the second Saturday in a row when the Flyers play at La Salle on Feb. 26.  Game time is 2 p.m. ET.  

On Wednesday, UD handled UMass 82-61 behind having five players in double figures for the second consecutive game.  Roommates Koby Brea and Mustapha Amzil came off the bench to lead the Flyers with 16 points apiece.  Toumani Camara added 12 points, followed by R.J. Blakney (11) and DaRon Holmes II (10).  

Saturday’s game will be carried by WHIO Radio, and streamed on ESPN+.  Streaming audio, video and stats are available at DaytonFlyers.com.

#TRENDING 
• DaRon Holmes II and Malachi Smith have been A-10 Rookie of the Week nine total times.
• Holmes is first nationally among freshmen (and 6th overall) in dunks (60).  Next are Memphis’ Jalen Memphis (49) and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren (41). 
• Holmes leads the A-10 in FG% (.642, 131-204).  He is nine FGM shy of being ranked nationally, but his .638 would be fifth.  
• Dayton’s incoming freshman class was ranked 21st-best in the nation.  DaRon Holmes II, a consensus Top 50 recruit, is the highest-rated prospect to ever sign with UD.  
• Malachi Smith is the midst of one of the finest seasons by a UD freshman point guard.  He was the first Flyer freshman named an in-season tournament MVP since Roosevelt Chapman was MVP of the UD Invitational in 1980. He already has the UD record for steals by a freshman (now 52) and is second in assists by a freshman (148, 42 away from Juwan Staten’s 190).
• After making four of 24 three-pointers in the non-conference season (.167), Toumani Camara has made 14 of 30 (.467) in A-10 play. He has scored double figures in eight of his last nine games, averaging 11.8 points a game.  In those games he is shooting .522 (12-23) from three.
• Kobe Elvis has reached double digits in 10 of his last 13 games, averaging 12.4 ppg. 
• R.J. Blakney was the primary defender in holding St. Joe’s Taylor Funk to four points.
• Dayton’s win over No. 4/3 Kansas was its first over a Top 5 team since the Flyers beat No. 3 DePaul 72-71 at the buzzer on Feb. 18, 1984.  Anthony Grant was a freshman on that team.
• The Covid year has complicated “the clock” for college student-athletes.  With that in mind, the Flyers’ 11 players listed as freshmen or redshirt freshmen are the second-most in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.  Only Arizona (13) has more.  Air Force, Marquette and Vanderbilt (10) are next.  KenPom has UD the least experienced team in D-I.  
• For the first time in UD Arena history, all season and single game tickets were sold before the season even began.  That announcement was made on Nov. 4.  
• Dayton has depth. Nine Flyers average 7.5 minutes or more.  Nine have had at least one game of 10 points or more.  Eight average 6.0+ points a game, and four average 9.0+.
• UD shoots .506 and allows .389 from the field in its 20 wins this season.  In the eight losses, Dayton shoots .413 and allows .462.  UD allows 56.8 ppg. in its wins, and 69.0 in its losses.

UP NEXT 
• Dayton is at Richmond Wednesday, March 2 (6:30 p.m.) before playing Davidson at home on March 5 (12:30 p.m.).

COURTESY UD ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS