» RICHMOND GAME: Flyers, Spiders struggling | Game preview
Dayton (7-8, 1-2) entered the second half of the season with a road game Tuesday at Richmond. Here’s a look back at the first half of the season:
MVP: Redshirt junior forward Josh Cunningham is having the type of season he might have had a year ago if he hadn't suffered an ankle injury in the second game. He ranks second on the team in scoring (15.5 points per game) and first in rebounding (9.7 rebounds). He ranks 11th in the nation in 2-point field-goal percentage (73.2).
Most improved player: Senior guard Darrell Davis has improved his stats across the board. He has increased his scoring from 5.5 points per game to 17.0, one of the biggest one-year jumps in school history.
Top newcomer: Freshman guard Jordan Davis ranks third on the team with 8.1 points per game. He leads the team in 3-point shooting percentage (30 of 68, 44.1).
Best moment: Cunningham's last-second basket in the season opener Nov. 10 gave Dayton a 78-77 victory against Ball State in Anthony Grant's first game as Dayton coach.
Worst moment: Dayton had a chance to beat Mississippi State on the road on Dec. 3, but a turnover by Darrell Davis led to a go-ahead layup by Quinndary Weatherspoon with one second remaining. The Bulldogs, who are now 13-2, won 61-59.
Best performance: Cunningham had 29 points and 18 rebounds in an 88-83 overtime victory against Georgia State on Dec. 16.
Worst performance: Darrell Davis missed all 11 of his shot attempts on Dec. 19 in a 69-54 loss at Saint Mary's.
Best victory: Dayton beat St. Bonaventure 82-72 on Jan. 3. The Bonnies were picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 and had won eight in a row.
Worst loss: Dayton lost 62-60 at home to Massachusetts on Saturday. The Minutemen were playing without two suspended starters.
Trending up: Sophomore guard Trey Landers has played more than 30 minutes in four straight games after doing so twice in his first nine games. He scored a career-high 17 points against St. Bonaventure.
Trending down: Freshman forward Matej Svoboda has played single-digit minutes in four of his last five appearances and didn't play at all against St. Bonaventure.
Best quote: "My main focus right now is to at least to get back-to-back wins for the first time this season," said Darrell Davis on Dec. 23 after a victory against Wagner. The Flyers failed to do that in the first 15 games.
About the Author
