NIT Championship
Who: Dayton (24-12) vs. North Carolina (20-16)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
TV: ESPN
Radio: WHIO-AM (1290), WHIO-FM (95.7)
NEW YORK — Part of being a basketball coach is working on your players’ mental state of mind, and the University of Dayton’s Brian Gregory has practically done enough to earn an honorary doctorate in psychology.
Going into the NIT, the Flyers had played in nine games decided by five points or fewer since Jan. 1 and had lost them all.
“For some reason, we went through a lot this year, but I don’t think the guys ever got discouraged,” Gregory said. “We were disappointed, but they kept fighting through. ... You just had a feeling something good was bound to happen to these guys.”
Something did.
Chris Johnson had 22 points and 10 rebounds to propel UD to a taut 68-63 win over Mississippi in the NIT semifinals Tuesday, March 30, in front of a crowd of 11,689. The Flyers will play for the tournament title against North Carolina at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPN.
Gregory and his crew, though, had some anxious moments on their way to the program’s first appearance in the finals since winning the crown in 1968.
Reginald Buckner, who made the Southeastern Conference all-freshman team, was tied up for a rebound by Johnson. After the whistle blew, Buckner struck Johnson and was called for a technical, and the Flyer sophomore made both foul shots for a 64-58 lead with 3:09 to go.
But the Rebels (24-11) scored five straight points, cutting the lead to one with 35.8 seconds to go. After London Warren gave the Flyers (24-12) a two-point lead by splitting a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left, Ole Miss’ Trevor Gaskins had an open look after getting inside UD’s defense, but his bunny fell off the rim.
The Flyers closed out the victory with foul shots. Chris Wright had nine points and 11 rebounds, while Marcus Johnson added 12 points.
“We knew how athletic they were and knew how competitive they were,” Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. “I thought we were prepared for what they showed us. Both teams played hard. It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing game I’ve been a part of. They just made a few more plays.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author