Buckeye in Dayton

1:14 am - Thu, Feb 16, 2012: 4 notes

Buckeye in Dayton

Corey Barnes

Today, I was a Flyer.

Let me be clear, I am by trade a Buckeye. I have the memories and Mirror Lake Jump pictures to prove it. But tonight I felt a change was necessary. I was growing complacent with the cookie-cutter design of Value City Arena and the relentless advertisements Ohio State basketball peddles. I decided to travel to a smaller venue, check out the mid-major scene. My destination was the University of Dayton.

Joe, a friend from high school and UD senior, was able to acquire a student ticket for me. I managed to get in (just call me Eduardo) and proceeded to tour the facility. The first thing I noticed was the walls. The Schottenstein Center, like all major multipurpose venues built since 1990, has a lower bowl, a club level, and an upper deck whose top row juts against the base of the ceiling. UD Arena, built in 1969, has two major levels; there is a lower bowl and upper deck. Club seats are limited and are restricted to the baselines, overhanging the student section on one side and the regular fans on the other. No major banners hung from the rafters; the basketball team’s achievements are detailed on solid wall fixtures. The team’s best finish in the NCAA Tournament was National Runner Up in 1967. The Flyers also won two NIT championships in 1962 and 2010. The most recent or notable finishes are detailed on the bottom of the scoreboard for all to see. Students and pep band are located behind one of the baskets where they are free to wreak havoc on opposing teams.

The Flyers fans group is known as “The Red Scare.” For the most part I was impressed by the amount of effort they put forth for a Wednesday game versus a non-rival. While the student section was not full, those who showed up made their presence felt. Two students dressed as Dayton’s favorite sons Orville and Wilbur Wright and led the student cheers. Apparently Wilbur had some hair loss issues so the student who volunteered to personify him actually shaved his head in a similar (and unflattering) fashion. That is fanhood. The students cheered the customary “D-Fence” (Clap/clap) “D-Fence” as well as a bellowing “Ohh” that would sound familiar to any OSU student. The students not surprisingly stood for the duration of the game but the rest of the fans remained seated almost the entire time. They only stood during a critical second half stretch and before leaving the arena.

The game environment was not exactly Hoosiers but it did feel more organic than some Ohio State games. The band featured prominently and yes t-shirts were thrown into the crowd. But there was no kiss cam, no commercials broadcast during timeouts, and not as much pop music. The game drew surprisingly well for a weekday with 12,124 patrons.

A staple of college basketball is the tricks the students section employs to confound, distract, and altogether disorient an opponent at the free throw line. The Wright Brothers did an excellent job creatively involving the students in this regard. Here were three of my favorite tactics:

1. Everyone stay quiet, right before the shot all the ladies let out a blood-curdling scream.

2. Sing “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.”

3. Hands to the left, swing them to the right on shot (it’s a classic).

The game itself was a terrific back-and-forth affair. The Charlotte 49ers were in town and led by as many as eight in the first half. It seemed for a while that Dayton turnovers would keep the Flyers out of the game. The 49ers held a three point lead at the break. Tempers flared in the second half after E. Victor Nickerson was assessed flagrant and technical fouls in short order and fouled out. A Flyer was on a breakaway so Nickerson denied him a shot in a motion that fell somewhere between foul and misdemeanor, which gave the crowd plenty to boo about. The game stayed competitive until about five minutes left in the contest. The biggest reason Dayton took off was senior Chris Johnson who finished the night with 22 points including 4 three-pointers in the second half. When the final horn sounded Dayton stood triumphant 75-65.

This was a great game between two average mid-major schools. There is little to no chance these teams will make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid so their best bet is to win the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Flyers are now 6-5 in conference play and the 49ers are 4-7. Dayton showed tonight that it has some scoring ability especially when Johnson is in an offensive groove. If it draws a favorable seeding in March the team has a puncher’s chance to make some noise and perhaps move on the The Dance.

Overall I can say that University of Dayton Arena is a classic structure and a great place to watch a basketball game. It is a logical fit for the First Four of March Madness and I hope it keeps its hosting duties for a long time.