Creighton’s season-opening loss to nationally ranked Dayton reinforced a couple of things that Dana Altman already knew about his basketball team.

One, the Bluejays can score. Two, if they don’t tighten things up on defense, they’re going to have difficulty keeping quality teams from scoring on them.

Dayton, loaded with experience, hung 90 on the Bluejays in posting a 10-point victory on Saturday. It was the most points the Bluejays had allowed since giving up 110 in a double-overtime win against Bradley in the final regular-season game of the 2007-08 season.

“I think this team is going to be able to score a little bit because we can shoot it and we do have some ball-handlers,’’ Altman said. “But we have so far to go in so many areas. I don’t know how we’re going to approach the rebounding and defensive part of it.’’

With three experienced players out of the lineup with injuries or illness, Creighton played predominately zone defense against the Flyers. Dayton shot 49.3 percent from the field, including 56.3 percent in the second half, and outrebounded the Bluejays 39-33.

Still, Creighton twice led by 10 points in the first half and took its last lead at 67-66 with 8:29 to play on Ethan Wragge’s 3-pointer. The Bluejays were within four points with two minutes left before Dayton closed the game with an 8-2 run.

Despite the situation — playing a nationally ranked team on its home court short-handed — Altman drew little satisfaction from playing the Flyers close for 40 minutes.

“I thought our guys prepared themselves to play,’’ Altman said. “We changed the way we play drastically, and they really tried to listen. I like the way they approached the game. Dayton is a really good team and they’re going to have a wonderful season.

“But we would like to think we’re further along than to just play close. We had our chance, right up until the end, but we didn’t make some plays. It was that close.’’

Altman’s players drew enough positives from their effort to be encouraged about this season, especially when forwards Justin Carter and Chad Millard return from injury and Casey Harriman shakes the H1N1 flu that put him in the hospital.

“We definitely know that we can play hard against anyone,’’ guard P’Allen Stinnett said, “and we just need to put two halves together.’’

Guard Cavel Witter liked the way the Bluejays hung together.

“They got us at the end,’’ he said. “But we stayed together and fought as a team. That’s something we’re going to be able to take into these next games.’’

Creighton plays its next two games at home — Tuesday against Florida A&M and Sunday against Arkansas-Little Rock. After that, the Jays close November with three neutral-court games, the first against Michigan at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla..

One of the biggest positives for Creighton was the experience its five new players received in the toughest of environments. The game drew a sellout crowd of more than 13,000. The opponent was nationally ranked. Undoubtedly, there would have been easier places for a debut.

“It was important for us to get our feet wet,” said Wayne Runnels, who had 16 points and nine rebounds against the Flyers. “Since high school, this is where I wanted to play — in front of big crowds, against good teams.

“Myself, I’d rather play a Top 25 team every night. It would make our team better.’’

The game was the only contest that pitted a ranked team against one that received votes in the coaches poll on the season’s opening weekend.

Altman knew the opener wouldn’t be easy. What he didn’t know when he and Dayton coach Brian Gregory agreed to play it right out of the chute was that he’d be without Carter, Harriman and Millard, while point guard Antoine Young played despite injuring his knee in practice three days before the game.

“To be honest, we couldn’t find another date to play it,’’ Altman said. “We knew Dayton was going to be really good and that we’d have an experienced group, so we figured we’d go swing away.

“In a couple of weeks, we’re going to Orlando to play Michigan and either Xavier or Marquette. We figured it would get us ready for that. Coming here to play this game was not going to be easy at any time. We thought it would be something we’d be ready for, and we had our chance.’’

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com

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