DAYTON, Ohio — Malachi Smith wore his trademark smile most of the day Saturday: while dancing with his teammates in the tunnel just before taking the court at UD Arena; after getting his first layup of the season to fall in the first half; and after connecting with fellow sophomore DaRon Holmes II for a score for the first time this season.
About five weeks after injuring his ankle, Smith returned to action for Dayton in a 60-51 victory against Robert Morris. It was far from a great performance for Dayton against a program that won 12 games total in the last two seasons, but the biggest news of the day was the return of Smith, who missed not only the first three games but close to half of the preseason.
“It felt good to finally be back on the court at UD Arena,” Smith said.
