For the past two seasons, wins were tough to come by at Dayton.
This winter, they have come in bunches.
With one regular season game remaining and the postseason still ahead, the Greendevils have reached 17 victories, their highest total since the 1990-1991 season under Stan Steidel. They earned No. 17 with a 64-60 win over Boone County in Florence in the LINK nky Game of the Week presented by Mr. Kentucky and Skyline Chili.
It is a milestone built on experience earned the hard way.
“We have a lot of young guys who are hungry and want to prove people wrong,” Dayton head coach Darian Witherspoon said. “For a ball club that hasn’t won much in the last two years, we’re trying to figure out how to win these games. Those guys got thrown into the fire the last few years. My sophomores had to play a lot of minutes as freshmen.”
Four of Dayton’s five starters against the Rebels were sophomores, joined by one junior.
Sophomore Mykah Foster scored a game high 20 points, Malachi Kennedy added 19 and junior Anthony Hull chipped in 13.
“We ask a lot of Malachi to rebound and defend the other team’s best player, and the same thing with Mykah,” Witherspoon said. “They’re both sophomores, so we haven’t seen their best basketball yet, and that is a beautiful thing.”
Foster and Kennedy delivered in different halves.
Kennedy set the tone early, pouring in 12 first quarter points and knocking down three triples. He scored 14 of his 19 before halftime, helping Dayton build a 16-10 lead after one.
But Boone County responded. A 7-2 run sparked by senior Bryson Souder, who finished with 17 points, trimmed the margin to 29-28 at the break. Brycen Herald added 10 for the Rebels, the only other Boone player in double figures.
At halftime, Foster had just two points.
Then he took over.
“Getting downhill, attacking and facilitating,” Foster said. “Malachi started off the first half great, and in the second half he was getting face guarded, so it was easier for me to get downhill and create space. I played off two feet instead of one.”
Foster scored 10 points in the third quarter and 18 in the second half overall, earning Skyline Chili Player of the Game honors. Boone briefly grabbed a 39-37 lead in the third, but Foster’s surge helped Dayton move ahead 45-42 entering the fourth, and the Greendevils never trailed again.
For Boone County, the loss marked its eighth straight.
“We call it the three E’s, energy, effort and execution,” Rebels head coach Todd Humphrey said. “We had a lot of energy and a lot of effort, but the execution wasn’t there. It’s about getting a little bit smarter and making the plays we need to make. That’s what we’re focused on right now.”
The Rebels have also been shorthanded. Starting center Kameron Johnson, third on the team in scoring at 7.6 points per game, has missed the last several contests.
“Our starting center has been out three or four games and he’s really vital to our team,” Humphrey said. “We’ve had guys dealing with the flu and other sicknesses, too. That’s part of what we’re battling.”
Boone County closes the regular season at 6-23 and will open play in the 33rd District on Monday against Heritage Academy.
Dayton (17-9), meanwhile, faces a quick turnaround with a district seeding game at Newport on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
One thing is certain, the Greendevils’ mentality will not change no matter the opponent.
“I feel like we can compete with anybody,” Foster said. “We’re overlooked because we’re Dayton and because of the past.”
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
GREENDEVILS 64, REBELS 60
DAYTON — 16-13-16-19 — 64
BOONE COUNTY — 10-18-14-18 — 60
Scoring
Dayton (64) — Foster 20, Kennedy 19, Hull 13, Anderson 9, Dunford 3
Boone County (60) — Souder 17, Herald 10, Robertson 8, Burks 7, Landrum 7, Montanya Brown 4, Crager 3, Moalin 3, Brightwell 1
Game Stats
3-Pointers: Dayton 3, Boone County 7
Free Throws: Dayton 11/25, Boone County 11/18
Fouls: Dayton 14, Boone County 19
Records: Dayton 17-9, Boone County 6-23