RICHMOND, Va. - The University of Dayton women's basketball team will open post-season play March 3 against George Mason in the 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship. The eighth-seeded Flyers and ninth-seeded Patriots each earned a first-round bye and will square off in the second round Thursday morning at 11 a.m. at Richmond Coliseum. The game will be broadcast live via a free video stream at Atlantic10.com.

About the Flyers
Dayton (14-13, 7-9 A-10) broke up a four-game skid with a 22-point regular-season finalé win over Fordham on Sunday for Senior Day. The Flyers are participating in their 21st Atlantic 10 Championship and will be meeting George Mason for the second time this season on Thursday. UD is led by sophomore Jenna Burdette and junior Saicha Grant-Allen with 11.2 ppg. Burdette also leads the team with 4.8 apg. (5th A-10) and Grant-Allen grabs a team-high 8.6 rpg. (5th A-10).

Scouting George Mason
George Mason (11-18, 6-10 A-10) closed out the regular season with three consecutive losses, including its 73-66 loss to top-seeded George Washington Saturday. The Patriots' Taylor Brown leads the team with 14.9 ppg. (9th A-10), 3.3 apg. (11th A-10) and 1.5 spg.

Last Time Out
Before recognizing its two senior team members, Dayton closed out its regular season Sunday night with a 77-55 win over Fordham at UD Arena. The Flyers had five players in double-figures scoring led by junior Saicha Grant-Allen with 16 points. UD out-rebounded FOR, 40-30, but boards were evenly distributed by the Flyers as three had six rebounds each. For the game, Dayton shot 47.5 percent from the field, including 43.8 percent from long range.

The Series
There have only been four previous meetings between Dayton and George Mason with the Flyers winning all four. UD and Mason met earlier this season on Feb. 10 in Dayton - the Flyers claimed an 81-58 win.

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 23rd-toughest schedule in Division I. George Mason comes in ranked at 170th; Tennessee's schedule is rated as the nation's toughest.

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. Cornélie-Sigmundová 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.

Dayton in the A-10 Championship
The Flyers are making their 21st appearance in the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship in 2016, having made the post-season tournament every season Dayton has been a member of the league. UD has won one A-10 Championship title (2012) and holds a 20-18 overall record for league tournament games. In 2015, Dayton made its fourth appearance in the championship finals in the last five seasons.

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 73.2 percent (the program's fifth-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    (398-541) - 2001-02
5.    .732    (374-511) - 2015-16

You're Invited to a Block Party
The team's blocks leader for the past four seasons, senior Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova averages 2.31 blocks/game for her career which ranks 17th among all Division I active players while her career total of 280 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' 280 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 4.8 assists/game, sophomore Jenna Burdette ranks fifth in the Atlantic 10. She can also be found in several other categories ranked among the best in the league: second with a .396 three-point field goal percentage, seventh with an .805 free-throw percentage, ninth with a 1.4 assist/turnover ratio, 14th with 1.4 three-point field goals per game and t-25th with 11.2 ppg.

First Half Success = Second Half Victory
Dayton is 11-3 this season when leading at halftime. The Flyers are 3-10 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 475 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 59 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 (59-164) is the fifth-best average by a UD freshman. Additionally, Cannatelli's 59 made three-point baskets ranks sixth 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 Cornelie-Sigmundova has seen action in 121 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 93-31 (.750) mark with Cornélie-Sigmundová on the roster.