DAYTON - The University of Dayton women's basketball team hosts Rhode Island Thursday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. in the first Atlantic 10 game at home this season for the Flyers.

Any fan that brings a ticket from the men's game on Jan. 3 gets in free to the women's game on the 4th. Posters will be given out at the marketing table as well as scarves to the first 250 fans.

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
The Flyers enter the game with an 8-4 record overall and a 1-0 conference mark. Dayton went 7-4 on the non-conference season and is 4-1 at home this year.

Head coach Shauna Green is in her second season at the helm of the Flyers after going 22-10 in her first campaign last year. The WBCA National Rookie Coach of the Year returns an experienced squad with three seniors, six juniors, and three starters.

As a team, Dayton ranks sixth in the nation and first in the A-10 in defensive rebounds per game while ranking 18th nationally in field goal percentage defense and 16th in rebounds per game. The Flyers average 71.9 points per game while holding opponents to 60.6 points.

The Flyers are led by senior Jenna Burdette, who is averaging 14.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. Sophomore Jayla Scaife is chipping in 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while senior JaVonna Layfield averages a double-double with 10.6 points and 11.8 rebounds each outing.

SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island comes to Dayton with a 2-12 record overall and an 0-1 A-10 mark. The Rams have lost four straight games and are 0-7 away from home this season. Head coach Daynia La-Force is in her fourth season in charge.

The Rams have struggled on both ends of the floor, scoring 54.2 points per game while giving up 67.9 points to opposing teams. URI shoots 35.5 percent from the field, 29.5 percent from three-point range, and 67.2 percent from the free throw line.

Nicole Jorgensen has been the main offensive threat with 11.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Abby Streeter is adding 9.3 points per game and shooting 39.8 percent from behind the arc.

LAST TIME OUT
Dayton opened the A-10 slate with a big 76-47 victory at La Salle on New Year's Eve. The Flyers played strong defensively, led by Layfield's 24-rebound, eight-steal performance, both the second most in a single game in program history.

Rhode Island started off the conference season with a 74-53 loss at home to Richmond on Dec. 31. The Rams scored just 17 points in the first half and suffered their fourth straight loss.

THE SERIES
The Flyers and Rams have played 26 times previously with Dayton dominating the series with 22 wins including 14 in a row. The meeting last season ended with a 30-point victory for the Flyers at UD Arena, 81-51.

LAYFIELD REWRITES RECORD BOOK
On New Year's Eve, senior JaVonna Layfield recorded 24 rebounds and eight steals, both of which were the second most in a single game in Dayton history. She surpassed her previous best of 22 set in the season opener and picked up six of her steals in the first seven minutes of the game.

BURDETTE REACHES 1,000 POINT MARK
In the game against No. 19 South Florida in the New Orleans Shootout, senior guard Jenna Burdette surpassed the 1,000 point mark for her career and became the 25th Flyer to do so.

UP NEXT
The Flyers will return to Philadelphia next Sunday for a 1 p.m. contest at Saint Joseph's in Atlantic 10 action.