DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton women's basketball team will face Western Kentucky Thursday, March 17 in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The game will be played at WKU's E.A. Diddle Arena and it set to tip at 8 p.m. ET.


About the Flyers
Dayton (14-14) closed out the 2015-16 regular season with a 77-55 win over Fordham on March 28 for Senior Day. In its 21st appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship, the Flyers dropped a 66-62 decision to the Patriots of George Mason in second round action. UD is led by sophomore Jenna Burdette with 11.2 ppg. and 4.8 apg. (5th A-10) while junior Saicha Grant-Allen pulls down a team-best 8.8 rpg. (5th A-10).

Scouting Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky (24-6) finished up its 2015-16 regular season with a four-game winning streak but was outlasted by Marshall, 66-63, in the quarterfinals of the 2016 C-USA Championship. The Lady Toppers are led by C-USA Player of the Year Kendall Noble, the only player in the nation to record more than one triple-double this season, with 17.8 ppg. (3rd C-USA) and 5.3 apg. (2nd C-USA) while Ivy Brown is the team's leading rebounder with 8.8 rpg. (4th C-USA).

Last Time Out
Dayton bowed out of the 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship with a second-round loss to George Mason, 66-62, on March 3. Despite a furious fourth-quarter comeback, the Flyers were unable to overcome the Patriots down the stretch. Two Flyers scored 15 points in senior Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova and freshman Lauren Cannatelli while junior Saicha Grant-Allen grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.

The Series
In 11 meetings between Dayton and Western Kentucky, the Lady Toppers have claimed 10 wins over the Flyers. UD's only win in the series came on Jan. 25, 1984 - an 82-72 victory over WKU in Bowling Green.

Just Flyers Please
When referring to the University of Dayton women's basketball team (or any other Dayton women's athletic team), we ask that you refer to us simply as "Flyers." Not "Lady Flyers".

Follow the Flyers on Social Media
Fans can follow the official Dayton women's basketball social media outlets by liking Facebook.com/DaytonWBB, on Twitter by following @DaytonWBB and DaytonWeAreOne on Instagram. Hashtags for Flyer women's basketball include #UDWBB, GRIT and GoFlyers.

Strength of Schedule
According to NCAA.com, Dayton has the 26th-toughest schedule in Division I. Western Kentucky comes in ranked at 181st.

Dayton in the WNIT
Thursday will mark Dayton's fourth overall appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The Flyers have previously appeared in the post-season tournament in 2000, 2008 and 2009. UD's only WNIT win came against Oakland on March 19, 2009, a 70-55 victory in Rochester, Mich.

Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year Goes to Dayton
In voting among league head coaches, senior Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year while freshman Lauren Cannatelli earned A-10 Rookie of the Year honors. Cornelie-Sigmundova also earned mention on the All-Defensive and All-Academic Teams and Cannatelli was named to the All-Rookie Team. Also recognized in post-season awards was sophomore Jenna Burdette, named to the A-10 All-Conference Third Team.

Flyers in Regular-Season League Play
Dayton has won 61 of its last 76 regular season Atlantic 10 games (.803), a streak that dates back to a 97-46 win over Rhode Island on Jan. 7, 2012, and includes a perfect 14-0 mark in conference play during the 2012-13 season.

We'll Take the Free Ones
As a team the Flyers shot 76.4 percent from the free throw line in 2013-14, the BEST team free throw percentage in Dayton history. The Flyers are once again shooting well from the line this season, currently coming in at 73.6 percent (tied for the program's fourth-best free-throw percentage) which ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10.
1. .764 (519-679) - 2013-14
2 .745 (575-772) - 2014-15
3. .737 (390-529) - 2011-12
4. .736 (387-526) - 2015-16
4. .736 (398-541) - 2001-02

You're Invited to a Block Party
The team's blocks leader for the past four seasons, senior Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova averages 2.34 blocks/game for her career which ranks 17th among all Division I active players while her career total of 285 blocks ranks eighth nationally among all DI actives. With five blocks at Duquesne on Jan. 3, Cornélie-Sigmundová's career blocks total ranks her FIRST in Dayton program history - surpassing the previous record holder, Michele Kruty (220; 1984-88), and breaking a program record that stood for 28 seasons. Her career-high-tying nine blocks against VCU on Jan. 13 and Saint Louis on Feb. 24 are the second-most blocks in one game all-time by a Flyer. JCS' 285 career blocks is the most by any Dayton player, male or female (men: Chris Wright, 162).

Burdette in the A-10
Averaging a team-best .404 three-point field goal percentage, sophomore Jenna Burdette ranks first in the Atlantic 10. She can also be found in several other categories ranked among the best in the league: fifth with 4.8 apg., fifth with an .813 free-throw percentage, 10th with a 1.4 assist/turnover ratio, 15th with 1.4 three-point field goals per game and 25th with 11.2 ppg.

First Half Success = Second Half Victory
Dayton is 11-3 this season when leading at halftime. The Flyers are 3-11 when either trailing at the half or tied at halftime.

70'S the Magic Number
Since the 2009-10 season, Dayton is 121-13 (.903) when scoring 70 or more points, including 24-2 in 2014-15. During the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, the Flyers only lost one game per season when scoring at least 70 points, and dropped only two games in 2009-10 when reaching that mark.
2015-16 10-2
2014-15 24-2
2013-14 19-4
2012-13 21-1
2011-12 13-1
2010-11 15-1
2009-10 19-2
TOTAL 121-13

Three Points of Excellence
Dayton has hit at least one three-point shot in 476 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 2, 2001, the longest streak in the Atlantic 10 Conference and one of the top streaks in the nation. The Flyers made a program-record 15 three-point field goals against Buffalo in the Connecticut World Vision Classic on Nov. 25, 2011. Dayton tied the record with 15 vs. Wright State on Nov. 28, 2012.

Speaking of Threes ...
Cincinnati native freshman Lauren Cannatelli has made a team-best 62 three-point baskets this season which is a new program record among Flyer freshmen. Former Flyer Justine Raterman sank 47 three-pointers her first year on the team (2008-09). Cannatelli's 36.0 three-point field-goal percentage (62-172) is the fifth-best average by a UD freshman. Additionally, Cannatelli's 62 made three-point baskets ranks tied for fifth all-time for treys made in a season.

She Dishes it Out
Sophomore Jenna Burdette recorded her first career double-double against Duquesne on Feb. 21 with a career-high 14 assists and a career-high-tying 10 rebounds. The 14 assists ties the program record for most in a single game. Other former Flyers that tallied 14 assists in one game were Stefanie Miller (11/21/03 vs. Boise State) and Pam Palmer (1/3/82 vs. Ohio State).

We've Got an Audience
With a crowd of 10,159 at UD Arena for Dayton's season opener against Yale on Nov. 13, the Flyers currently boast the seventh-most attended game this season. The record crowd was due to the overwhelming success of UD's annual School Day game, a chance for local school-aged children to take a field trip with the Flyers. With a home attendance average of 2,890, Dayton ranks 39th out of 349 DI programs.

You Look Familiar ...
Senior Jodie Cornélie-Sigmundová has seen action in 122 career games as a Flyer - missing only three games her first season on the squad. Since she joined the team prior to the 2012-13 season, the Flyers have a 93-32 (.744) mark with Cornélie-Sigmundová on the roster.