DAYTON - The University of Dayton women's basketball team returns from the holiday break and opens the Atlantic 10 season at home on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. ET at UD Arena. Notes to fans that the game was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. and is now an hour earlier.

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton is 5-6 on the season after finishing up non-conference play, facing a very difficult schedule already this season including a pair of Top 20 opponents. The Flyers are 4-1 at home this season.

Head coach Shauna Green is the reigning A-10 Coach of the Year and is in her third season at the helm of the Flyers. With a 50-22 record at Dayton and three conference titles, expectations are high for the program.

As a team, the Flyers are scoring 65.0 points per game and holding opponents to 61.9 points each outing. Dayton is shooting 37.4 percent overall, 30.9 percent from three-point range, and 69.1 percent from the free throw line. UD also benefits from a rebounding advantage.

Leading the way is a trio of upperclassmen in junior Jayla Scaife (15.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg), senior Lauren Cannatelli (12.8 ppg, 90.7% FT), and redshirt junior Julia Chandler (10.3 ppg). The Flyers' bench has contributed on both ends of the floor as well.

SCOUTING LA SALLE
La Salle enters the conference portion of the schedule with a 3-11 record overall, an 0-8 road mark, and a two-game losing streak. The Explorers will be looking to get things back on track after winning two of three games at the Friar Holiday Classic before the holidays.

Head coach Mountain MacGillivray is in his first season at La Salle, having previously led Quinnipiac as an assistant coach to seven straight 20-win seasons. He is a Philadelphia native.

La Salle has struggled offensively this season, averaging just 53.1 points per game while allowing 71.9 to opponents. The Explorers shoot 30.6 percent from the field, 23.6 percent from behind the arc, and 62.0 percent from the charity stripe. La Salles does face a -13.4 rebounding margin, but is committing fewer turnovers than opposing teams.

Leading the Explorers is Deja King, who averages 8.9 points and 1.9 steals per game, and Shalina Miller, who adds 7.2 points and 5.6 rebounds each outing. Eleven different players have earned at least one start his season.

LAST TIME OUT
Dayton finished the West Palm Beach Invitational with a 85-66 win over Georgia Tech on Dec. 21 in Florida. Jayla Scaife had a team-high 27 points while Lauren Cannatelli added 24 points and went 14-of-16 from the free throw line.
La Salle was defeated just down the road at Temple, 47-75 on Dec. 30. The Explorers were outscored 42-19 in the second half despite leading after the opening quarter. Deja King had a team-high 10 points.

THE SERIES
Dayton and La Salle have played 36 times previously with the Flyers winning 20 of those meetings. UD won last season's meeting on Dec. 31, 76-47 on the road at La Salle.

CANNATELLI NAMED A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Lauren Cannatelli earned her first A-10 honors of the season on Dec. 23 after her performances at the West Palm Beach Invite. The Cincinnati native averaged 24.0 points, shot 92.9 percent from the free throw line and led UD to a win over previously 9-1 Georgia Tech.

THREE POINTS OF EXCELLENCE
Dayton has hit at least one three-point shot in 548 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.

FLYERS IN REGULAR SEASON LEAGUE PLAY
Dayton has won 89 of its last 108 regular season Atlantic 10 games (.832), 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.

70'S THE MAGIC NUMBER
Since the 2009-10 season, Dayton is 150-18 (.903) when scoring 70 or more points, including 11-1 in 2016-17. 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.
2018-19    3-2
2017-18    15-2
2016-17    11-1
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    150-18

PRESEASON POLL
Dayton was picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll behind conference favorites Duquesne. With two first-place votes and 183 points, the Flyers were picked ahead of Fordham, George Washington, and Saint Joseph's.

PRESEASON HONORS
The Atlantic 10 released its preseason all-conference teams and recognized a pair of Flyers as junior Jayla Scaife was named First Team All-Conference as well as All-Defensive Team while senior Lauren Cannatelli was named Second Team All-Conference.

WE'VE GOT AN AUDIENCE
On Dec. 9, 2017, the Flyers played in front of 9,007 fans at UD Arena while hosting Toledo. The season-best 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 2,605, Dayton ranked 48th out of 349 DI programs. This year's School Day game against Colgate in the season opener had 8,811 fans in attendance.

UP NEXT
Dayton continues A-10 play at home with Massachusetts Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. ET. It will be the Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer game at UD Arena.