Feb. 18, 2007

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Audio: Coach Gregory Press Conference

A double-double effort from sophomore Charles Little was not enough on Sunday afternoon as the Dayton Flyers were defeated at home for the first time this season by the University of Massachusetts Minutemen 77-69.

Junior guard Brian Roberts added 25 points for the Flyers (19 in the second half), but it was not enough to win a game which was a constant uphill battle for UD. With the loss, Dayton's record slips to 16-9 overall and 6-6 in the Atlantic 10.

It was a career-high day for Little, however, as the forward matched his career best in points with 21 and set a new personal best in rebounds with 10. It was his first career double-double.

The Flyers never led the Minutemen in the contest and UMass led by as many as 15. Every time the Flyers would creep back, it seemed UMass had an answer. The intensity was high on both sides, but UD's missed opportunities, both on the glass and at the free-throw line, cost them the game. Dayton allowed UMass to record an eye-popping 20 offensive rebounds, while shooting just 46 percent from the free throw line (15-32). The team was out-rebounded 47-35 overall.

It was evident from the onset that the Flyers were going to have their work cut out for them. UMass built a 9-0 lead before a Dayton timeout at the 15:34 mark. Little, who led UD with ten points in the first half, provided UD with its first points out of the timeout.

The Minutemen eventually pushed their advantage to 15, 18-3, before the Flyer offense got untracked.

The Flyers finally broke out of their scoring slump with 10:03 to go on a Norman Plummer basket. With 8:28 to go, it was Plummer again as the junior forward knocked down a jumper to cut the lead to single digits. UMass would take an 18-9 lead into a media timeout at the 7:57 mark.

The Flyers continued to chip away and Little then took Massachusetts' Stephane Lasme, the nation's second-leading shot blocker; to the basket to bring the Flyers back to within six. Little added another bucket on UD's next position that brought crowd to their feet and brought Dayton within four.

Huelsman blocked a shot by Ricky Harris with 5:41 to play, leading to another easy Flyer bucket and UD was down by just two points.

Dayton would not get any closer, however, as Chris Lowe quieted the crowd with a three-pointer to make it 22-17. Little answered for the Flyers, but Gary Forbes nailed a three to counter. Roberts continued the scoring barrage with a three of his own and it was 25-22 UMass at a media timeout with 3:42 remaining.

UMass scored two unanswered buckets out of the time stoppage to push their lead to seven, but Roberts added another three to make it 29-25 with 1:21 to go.

James Life then converted two free throws with 40 seconds left to give UMass a 31-25 advantage, which they would take into the locker room. Dayton finished the half shooting 42 percent to UMass' 36 percent, but still found themselves trailing by six at the half-way point.

UMass' Rashaun Freeman scored the first points of the second half on a put-back and Forbes added a three for the Minutemen as they raced ahead 36-25 to start the second half.

Little stopped the bleeding with a turnaround jumper in the lane and then with a put-back dunk off a Monty Scott miss to make it 36-29. Lasme came back with a lay-up and Little continued to provide all the offense for the Flyers as he converted on a free throw with 16:40 to go. Roberts got into the act with a long three to make it 38-33, which led to a UMass timeout at the 15:44 mark.

Dayton continued their surge when junior forward Jimmy Binnie scored his first points of the game with 14:36 on the clock, connecting on a big three to bring Dayton within two points. With the score nearly dead-locked, a three point play by Rashaun Freeman and a lay-in by Forbes put UMass back up by seven. Scott then drilled a three for his first points of the game with 12:47 to go making it 43-39.

UMass would take an eight point lead into a media timeout at 12:15. After the timeout, UMass built their commanding lead back to 12 points.

With 10:07 left UMass' Freeman was hit with his fourth foul and had to leave the game. Things started to turn Dayton's way again as Roberts buried a free throw to cut the lead to 11. Dayton and UMass continued along with the same pattern until Little scored on a fast break lob pass to bring the Flyers back within nine with 6:29 to play.

UMass began to whittle down the clock, however, as the Flyers could never quite crack the two-point barrier on the scoreboard.

UMass built their lead back to thirteen points at 62-49 before Roberts hit a pair of free throws and a three to make it 64-54 with about four minutes to play. Roberts added another three to make it 64-57, causing UMass to call timeout at the 3:28 mark. It looked, once again, like the Flyers were poised for a comeback.

Little drove to the lane to cut the lead to five with 2:30 to go and UD Arena came to their feet. The next two minutes, however, would silence the crowd and bring the game to an end.

Flyer fans were given hope at the 1:28 mark as Chris Lowe missed both of his free throws, but Lasme grabbed the rebound off the second miss and slammed it home to give UMass a nine point lead again.

Two more free throws made it 70-59 and the writing was on the wall for the Flyers. UD added ten points down the stretch, but it was to no avail as the final score read 77-69.

Dayton moves on to take on Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST. The Billikens are 16-10 overall and 6-6 in Atlantic 10 play.