Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Dayton 75, Fordham 66: Ray Floriani's Photo Essay

BRONX, NY - You enter the game battling it out for the conference lead. The opposition is below .500, and on paper should be handled. Problem is, it is a road game and more important, the game is decided on the hardwood, not paper.

On Tuesday Dayton visited Rose Hill to face Fordham. The Flyers exited near midnight with another in the win column. It was far from easy. Even the 75-66 final was deceptive as to the difficulty of this contest. Such is life in conference play.
Fordham utilized the three-point shot as a primary weapon on this night. The shots fell, the crowd fed off the sweet jumpers showing nothing but net. The Rams were in this for the duration and were not going away. As the game progressed the feeling was evident this would go to the last few minutes among those who could execute best and make those plays that separated victory from defeat. In the end, Dayton proved to be the one to step up. The halfcourt offense was efficient and most important, the defense tightened up, especially on the perimeter.
In one of those games both coaches could take satisfaction, Archie Miller of Dayton was pleased to get a road win. In conference play, a win away from home is especially sweet. Jeff Neubauer of Fordham could take solace in his team’s effort and competitiveness.

No time exists for either team to rest on their laurels. It is back to work, and preparation for the next opponent. On this night, though, the two teams gave us a game to remind us how competitive and special conference encounters really are.

The pregame scene in the Rose Hill Gym lobby:
Fordham, arriving on the floor moments before the opening tip:
Fordham's Christian Sengfelder in the defensive stance:
A brief meeting of the minds for Dayton during a foul shot:
Fordham head coach Jeff Neubauer studies the action:
Antwoine Anderson on the move for the host Rams:
Fordham's dance team in a postgame huddle:
Dayton head coach Archie Miller meets the media:

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