LEXINGTON, Ky. - With its 99-94 win over No 11/11 Kentucky, the University of Dayton women's basketball team has advanced to the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Flyers got past the Wildcats in Second Round action at UK's Memorial Coliseum. Senior
Ally Malott led the Flyers with 28 points and 13 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the season.
Also for the Flyers, junior
Amber Deane added 23 points to go with four assists and junior
Kelley Austria chipped in 17 points to go with three assists and three blocks. Junior
Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova equaled her career high with six blocks.
Dayton (27-6) out-rebounded Kentucky (24-10) by a 42-34 margin and UD was firing at a blistering 56.6 percent from the floor.The team equaled its season high with 11 made three-point baskets and the Flyers were 28-for-31 from the line.
The Wildcats controlled most of the second half and led by as many as eight points but the Flyers refused to go away. A layup by Austria with just over 6:30 remaining in the game gave UD its first lead of the second frame, 75-74, and the two teams went to battle. Kentucky retook the lead at 82-81 and remained in control until a dagger three-point basket from Austria with 1:08 showing on the clock. Another three from Deane with 24 ticks left on the clock, but the game away for UD as the Flyers held on for the five-point win.
After sinking five three-point baskets in the first seven minutes of play, Dayton jumped out to a nine-point lead, 20-11. Kentucky battled back, pulling even at 22-all on a three-point basket of its own with just under 11 minutes remaining in the first half. The two squads were tied again at 28-28 when the Wildcats rattled off eight straight to take the lead. A back-and-forth battle to the end of the first frame, Dayton was trailing by three, 45-42, heading into the locker room.
The Wildcats were led by Makayla Epps with a game-high 29 points and Linnae Harper with 12 rebounds.
Dayton will play the winner of 3 Louisville/6 South Florida on March 28 in Albany, New York.
