By Stretch Jenkinson

1/23/2024

DaRon Holmes II Leads Four Flyers In Double Figures

PHILADELPHIA – The No. 16/17 University of Dayton men’s basketball team improved to 16-2 overall and 6-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tuesday night with a hard-fought 66-54 win at La Salle.  Dayton has now won 13 in a row.

DaRon Holmes II led all scorers with 22 points.  He was joined in double digits by Javon Bennett
Nate Santos (13 points apiece), and Kobe Elvis (10).

GAME RECAP
First Half – Dayton 36, La Salle 23
•    Dayton opened the scoring on a layup by DaRon Holmes II off an assist from Kobe Elvis.
•    La Sallle grabbed its only lead of the half (7-6 with 15:21 left in the half) after a 5-0 run but Holmes brought it back to the UD side 12 seconds later with a three-pointer.
•    Dayton’s best scoring run was a 7-0 spurt that made it 27-17  with 5:21 left.
•    The Flyers’ largest lead largest lead was 13 which first came with 2:51 on the clock.
•    Holmes and Elvis scored 26 of UD’s 36 points.  Holmes had 16 and Elvis added 10, with three assists.
2nd Half — Dayton 66, La Salle 54
•    Enoch Cheeks grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it in to give UD a 15-point lead to start the second half.
•    After an Explorer bucket, Holmes scored on a post move to take it back up to 15 (40-25) with 16:17 remaining.
•    La Salle then went on an 18-5 run, including 10-0 at the end, to pull to within 45-42 at the 9:04 mark.
•    After a Flyer timeout, Javon Bennett nailed back-to-back threes and Holmes powered home a layup put Dayton up eight (53-45) with 7:33 to go.
•    The game was a three-possession contest the rest of the way.

BY THE NUMBERS
•    22 – DaRon Holmes II scored 22 points, the fourth straight game he has had at least 20 points.
•    11 – Javon Bennett and Nate Santos both scored 11 of their 13 points in the second half.
•    8 – Holmes also had a game-high eight rebounds.
•    4 — Kobe Elvis and Holmes shared team honors with four assists.
•    16 – Enoch Cheeks and Holmes were both a team-high +16.

UP NEXT
• UD is on the road again Saturday, playing at Richmond, who is also 5-0 in the A-10.  Game time is 6 p.m. ET.
• Dayton’s next home game is Tuesday, Jan. 30 against GW at 7 p.m. ET.

COURTESY DAYTON MEDIA RELATIONS