Neil Sullivan said Flyers want to play with the best in November tournaments
LAHAINA, Hawaii — During the latter part of the second half on Wednesday at the Lahaina Civic Center, Dayton Flyers forward Zed Key made an unexpected but crucial contribution to their 85-67 win over No. 2 Connecticut.
After attempting a shot at the basket, Key fell to the floor. A UConn player secured the rebound but, as he fell, he lost control of the ball. It bounced and began rolling towards Key, who was lying partly in bounds and partly out.
Had the ball made contact with Key, possession would have gone to UConn. With little time to react, Key quickly scooted out of the way and rolled over, narrowly avoiding the ball as he moved his arm at the last moment.
At that moment, Dayton was leading 60-55. Thanks to Key’s quick thinking, the Flyers capitalized on the extra possession, with Nate Santos sinking two free throws. While it was just a small moment in a game that turned into a decisive win, it helped put Dayton back on track for the season.
Securing a victory in one of the most competitive Maui Invitational fields ever could have significant implications come Selection Sunday in March. Dayton (6-2) may have captured the seventh-place game, but they outperformed teams like UConn and Colorado, the latter of which beat UConn but lost by double digits to Iowa State and Michigan State.
Additionally, Dayton will return home with as many wins as North Carolina, despite the Tar Heels losing to Auburn and Michigan State after defeating Dayton earlier this season.
After the game, Dayton Athletic Director Neil Sullivan reflected on the significance of the victory for the program, especially following narrow losses to No. 12 North Carolina and No. 5 Iowa State in the earlier rounds.
“It’s easier to say this after a win, but we truly believe we belong in tournaments like this,” he stated. “This is where we want to be — competing with the best. Although the first two games didn’t go our way, I’m grateful for the players and Coach (Anthony) Grant and everything they put into those matches. They were just a play or a whistle away from winning. For me, it’s all about the players and the staff and the effort they’ve all shown to get here. I believe they performed at an elite level in all three games.”
When asked if he ever wondered after the first losses whether the competition was just too tough for Dayton, Sullivan replied, “I’m realistic. But we believe we can win every game we play. We’ve faced teams like this before. We rise to expectations, not shrink from them, and sometimes that means doing so on a public stage in front of a lot of people. You have to be willing to put yourself out there.”
Experience Factor: According to KenPom.com, Dayton ranks seventh in the nation in experience, while UConn sits at No. 193. After the game, two-time national championship coach Dan Hurley commented on the noticeable difference.
“We just looked so young compared to them,” Hurley remarked.
UConn (4-3) suffered losses to Memphis, Colorado, and Dayton during the Maui tournament. These three defeats dropped the team from No. 5 to No. 28 in the Pomeroy ratings, while Dayton improved its ranking from No. 38 at the beginning of the tournament to No. 25.
“This UConn team, which has lost three straight games here, isn’t the same as the UConn team we’ve been,” Hurley noted. “Right now, we look like a different UConn team that has the potential to improve. We’re heavily relying on young players, and the pressure of back-to-back games seems to be weighing on them. Our focus should be on developing into a strong team and becoming tougher. At the moment, we’re not playing at our best.”
New Champions: Auburn (7-0) triumphed over Memphis with a 91-76 win in the championship game on Wednesday, marking the ninth different Maui Invitational champion in the last nine years. Auburn is the first Southeastern Conference team to win the title since Kentucky in 2020, although Texas, now in the SEC, also won the championship that year while in the Big 12.
Auburn’s Johni Broome was named the tournament MVP, and the all-tournament team included Chad Baker-Mazara from Auburn, P.J. Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter from Memphis, Keshon Gilbert from Iowa State, and Seth Trimble from North Carolina.
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