Feb. 14, 2008
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Freshman Kristin Daugherty scored 11 of her team-high 13 points in the second half to lead the Flyers to a comeback win over Atlantic 10 rival Xavier, 44-43, on Thursday at UD Arena.
"This is a huge win," UD Head Coach Jim Jabir said. "We know it's a rivalry geographically speaking but it hasn't been much on the court because we haven't competed in the past which just shows how far the program has come."
After trailing by five at halftime, Dayton used a 16-2 run at the beginning of the second half to turn the tides. The Flyers held Xavier to 28 percent shooting on the night, while UD shot 36 percent from the floor, including 12-of-26 in the second half.
With the win, UD secured its first 20-win season in program history since upgrading to Division I. The Flyers last 20-win campaign was in the 1983-84 season as a Division II team. They also reached the NCAA Semifinals that year.
Thursday also marked the first time Dayton has defeated the Musketeers in 10 tries dating back to Jan. 7, 2003. The Flyers improved to 20-5 overall, while Xavier dropped to 17-7 (7-2 A-10). Dayton is also 10-1 this season at home.
"This is an important step because people judge you by who you beat and the number of wins you have," Jabir remarked. "Right now we're at 20 wins for the first time in our history."
Seniors Karah Cloxton and Brittany Holterman also scored in double-digits for Dayton with 10 each.
Ta'Shia Phillips led Xavier with a game-high 14 points and 10 rebounds. Amber Harris also tallied a double-double with 11 points and 14 boards.
The win lifts Dayton to 6-3 in A-10 play. UD is fifth in the conference standings, but has defeated two of the top four teams in the league. Dayton also beat second place Temple, 62-49, on Jan. 12.
According to the Feb. 14 update of CollegeRPI.com, Dayton has an RPI of 72 while Xavier is 44 and Temple is 53.
Both teams got off to a sluggish start to begin the game. Xavier and UD went a combined 0-for-10 in the opening minutes, but Holterman scored the game's first basket 3:36 into the contest.
The Flyers jumped out to an 8-2 lead before Xavier heated up. XU answered with a 13-4 run midway through the first half. A Maureen Hester three-pointer gave the Musketeers their first lead of the evening, 15-12 at the 5:46 mark.
Dayton fell into a shooting slump to end the half. While both teams shot under 30 percent from the floor in the half, Dayton connected on only 1-of-10 from beyond the arc in the first period.
In contrast, Xavier made 3-of-9 three-pointers including one from Special Jennings with 2:30 remaining to put the Muskies up by five, 20-15.
Xavier would take a 22-17 lead into the locker room, led by Jerri Taylor's eight points. Cloxton paced the Flyers with seven at the break.
The Flyers came out sizzling in the second half to regain the lead. Dayton connected on eight of its first nine shots and began the half on a 12-0 run. They grabbed a 29-22 advantage with 15:22 left to play.
Xavier missed its first seven shots of the half against Dayton's 2-3 zone defense. Daugherty had six points during the 12-0 run, which was ended at the 14:41 mark on a basket by XU's Harris.
Daugherty continued to fire away for the Flyers. She made 5-of-7 to start the second half and helped Dayton outscore Xavier 16-2 in the first 7:52 of the final period.
The Flyers continued to pour it on. Kendel Ross' lay-up with 8:52 remaining gave UD its first double-digit lead, 37-26. Xavier scored only four points through the half's first 11:59.
Xavier went to the inside game to claw their way back. Phillips scored three consecutive XU baskets in the paint to spark a 13-3 Musketeer run over a span of 4:04. With 3:39 remaining, Dayton's lead had been trimmed to just one point, 40-39.
After a Daugherty free throw, Phillips scored another lay-up for Xavier to tie the game at 41. Harris gave the Musketeers their first lead in more than 15 minutes on XU's next possession, 43-41.
Cloxton answered for Dayton with a three-pointer with just under 2:00 remaining that put UD back on top 44-43.
With the score still 44-43, Xavier went for the win. With six seconds remaining, April Phillips was fouled and sent to the free throw line. The crowd of 1,250 rose to its feet, and Phillips missed both free throw attempts.
Dayton secured the rebound, but turned the ball over with one second remaining. However, the Musketeers failed to get a shot off in time and the Flyers captured their first win over Xaiver since 2003.
The Flyers will host Rhode Island on Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. ET at UD Arena on "Think Pink" Sunday to support breast cancer awareness sponsored by the WBCA. The team will also celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Fans are encouraged to come to UD Arena to interact with UD women's sports teams along the concourse. The festivities begin at noon.
