Toumani Camara (31) & Malachi Smith (21) Drop Career Highs

1/31/2023

DAYTON – The University of Dayton men’s basketball team an eight-point second-half deficit and 52% shooting from three by visiting Loyola to come away with an 85-81 overtime win Tuesday night at UD Arena.

Toumani Camara (31 points) and Malachi smith (21 points) both had career highs in the win.

Dayton is now 15-8 overall and 7-3 in the Atlantic 10.

First Half — Dayton 40, Loyola Chicago 34

• Toumani Camara started off the Flyers’ scoring with a three only 17 seconds into the game.
• Kobe Elvis followed up the deep threat scoring with another deep three then Camara came down to hit another three from the top of the key, giving the Flyers a 9-4 lead only 2:09 into the game.
• The Flyers kept hitting from deep, scoring 16 points in only the first four minutes of the game. Four of their six made field goals were from outside the arch. Dayton heads into the first TV timeout with a 16-12 lead.
• The Flyers and Ramblers hit an offensive lull, neither team scored from 14:06 to 10:30.
• Koby Brea got the Flyers back on track with a three from the wing, making the score 23-15 with 10:33 left in the half.
• The Flyers hit another scoring drought from 10:33 to 7:43, the score is 23-19 going into the under-eight media timeout.
• Dayton and Loyola went back and forth in scoring, but the Ramblers hit three threes in a row to cut the lead to 29-28 with 5:28 left.
• Camara hit four straight points, one being a slamming alley-oop, the other getting two at the line. With 4:51 left in the first, UD leads 31-28 with Camara accounting for 18 of the Flyers 31 points. 
• The Ramblers take the lead with 3:44 left at 31-30 but Dayton responds quickly with a Malachi Smith three.
• Brea found Camara on a slick bounce pass leading to an easy finish, the Flyers lead 38-32 with a minute remaining.
• The Flyers and Ramblers exchange buckets before the end of the half and the score is 40-34.

Second Half — Dayton 72, Loyola Chicago 72

• DaRon Holmes II started off the Flyers defensive effort with a big block a minute into the second half. 
• Kobe Elvis hits a stepback three to get the Flyers their first score of the second half. Dayton leads 43-41 with 17:43 remaining.
• Loyola takes its first lead of the night since 66 seconds into the game with a three from Marquise Kennedy. Loyola kept the buckets going with another deep three making the lead 48-43 with 16:24 remaining.
• Before the first timeout of the second half, Elvis hits a three with 15:29 remaining. 
• With 11:49 remaining, the Flyers are down 52-49.
• The Flyers fall to their biggest deficit of the game, down 57-49 with 10:02 remaining. 
• Camara ends the Flyers scoring drought of 3:00 with a tough finish to the basket, then follows it up with a strong and-1 layup to cut the score to 57-54 with 8:28 remaining. 
• With 6:38 remaining in the game, the Flyers trail 62-57.
• Holmes has enough on defense and electrifies the crowd with a huge block. 
• After technicals given to both teams, the Flyers and Ramblers exchange free throws, the score is 64-62 with 5:51.
• Malachi Smith ties the game with 5:30 left on a reverse finish to the basket, Amzil forces a turnover which leads to an electric three from Smith. The Flyers take the lead back with 4:29 left, 67-64.
• Camara with a nice one-handed snatch with 2:37 left, the Flyers lead 71-66.
• Holmes has a huge block with 1:07 to keep the Flyers lead at five. He later gets fouled with 49.6 to go, makes one, gives the Flyers a 72-66 lead.
• The Ramblers respond with a big three from Braden Norris, 41.1 seconds to go.
• Phillip Alston banks in an amazing fadeaway three from the corner with 0.4 seconds to go, tying the game at 72-72. 

Overtime — Dayton 85, Loyola Chicago 81

• Alston fouls out with 3:40 left in OT to go, Camara goes to the line, makes both. Flyers lead 74-72.
• Ramblers tie it at 74-74 with 3:17 remaining. 
• Smith pumps and puts up a nice finish in the lane to go up 76-74, Holmes follows up with a two handed flush with 2:00 to go. Dayton up 78-74.
• Smith gets a huge steal with 1:07 left then proceeds to get fouled, makes one of two at the line, score is now 80-76.
• Smith hit another freebie with 32 ticks to go, but Bryce Golden hits a big three for the Ramblers to cut the lead to 81-79 with 18.9 seconds left.
• Mustapha Amzil goes to the line with 10.9 left, makes both. Flyers up 83-79.
• Golden made a layup with three seconds on the clock, but Elvis knocked down both free throws with 2.8 seconds left. Time expires, Flyers win 85-81.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Toumani Camara had a career high of 31 points. He made 10 of 14 field goals and nine of 11 free throws. He was also the game’s leading rebounder with nine.
• Malachi Smith also had a career-best 21 points with eight assists and no turnovers. He shot an outstanding six-for eight from the field and from the line, including three of four from three-point range.  Since getting back on the court after missing 11 games with an ankle injury, he has 32 assists against four turnovers in his last four games.   
• The Flyers had four players score over 10 points.  In addition to Camara and Smith, Kobe Elvis had 13 and Mustapha Amzil had 11.
• The starting backcourt of Elvis and Smith combined for 12 assists and no turnovers.
• Amzil was a team-high  +13.

UP NEXT

• Dayton heads to St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Feb. 4.
• Game time is 8 p.m. ET.  

COURTESY DAYTON MEDIA RELATIONS