Flyers have to dominate boards if they’re to win

The Musketeers have the second-best rebounding margin in the A-10. Who’s No. 1? The Flyers.

UD wing Chris Johnson grabs a rebound over a Duquesne player in January. UD has outrebounded Xavier by 35 in their two games this season.

Staff photo by Jim Noelker UD wing Chris Johnson grabs a rebound over a Duquesne player in January. UD has outrebounded Xavier by 35 in their two games this season.

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By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 4:01 AM Friday, March 12, 2010

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Xavier basketball coach Chris Mack couldn’t help but marvel at Chris Johnson’s ability to sky for rebounds after playing the University of Dayton earlier this season, saying the Flyers sophomore looked as if he were jumping off a trampoline.

But while Johnson had nothing beneath him except the cushion of his Nike sneakers, it did seem as if the Earth’s gravitational pull didn’t apply to him that day.

The 6-foot-6 wing had 16 rebounds along with 10 points in a 78-74 defeat at Xavier. In the rematch at UD, Johnson was limited to six boards but poured in 18 points to fuel a 90-65 win.

“We know rebounding is one of the important things in wins,” Johnson said. “But we also know Xavier is one of the best rebounding teams. If you want to beat them, you’ve got to get on the glass.”

The Flyers certainly did that in both games. They had a 51-34 rebounding edge in the first meeting and a 42-24 advantage in the second. And it’s not like the Musketeers have been physically manhandled on a regular basis.

UD, which meets Xavier in the Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals today, is first in the league (and 24th nationally) with a rebound margin of plus-6.3 per game, while the Musketeers are second in the league at plus-5.4.

“Our movement on offense created some opportunities for offensive rebounding,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “And our defense in both games eliminated some penetration they normally get, which allows us to rebound a little better.”

The Flyers have outboarded only two foes worse than they did Xavier — Presbyterian (46-26) and Richmond (44-25).

“Coach Mack told us we’re minus-35 in rebounding against Dayton,” Xavier junior Dante Jackson said. “That last game, we just got killed. It was a combination of things, me in particular. We just lost focus.”

Mack did say one issue has been the move of Jackson from point guard to small forward this year, making the team more dependent on the 4 and 5 spots for rebounds.

“We’re really hurt there,” Mack said. “We have to come with a different mentality. I hope we do.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125

or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.