DAYTON - The University of Dayton women's basketball team will open up the 2021-22 regular season when it hosts Alabama A&M Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton won its sixth regular season title last season and went 14-5 overall, 12-1 in Atlantic 10 play. The Flyers were undefeated on the road, going 8-0, and 5-3 at UD Arena.

Head coach Shauna Green is in her sixth season in charge of the Flyers and was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year 2020, her second time at UD. She ended her 100th win at Dayton in the regular season final last year.

As a team last year, the Flyers averaged 66.7 points per game and held opponents to 58.4 points per game for a +8.3 margin. Dayton shot 41.6 percent overall, 33.2 percent from three-point range, and 67.4 percent from the free throw line. UD also had a +11.2 rebounding margin, which ranked 8th in the country.

Dayton is led by graduate students Erin Whalen, who led the team last season with 13.6 points per game, and Jenna Giacone, who was second with 12.4 points per game. Both players were picked A-10 preseason Second Team and First Team respectively.

SCOUTING ALABAMA A&M
Alabama A&M is coming off a 2020-21 season in which it went 10-7 overall and 8-5 conference mark. The Lady Bulldogs were 5-2 at home, but ended the season on a three-game losing skid.

Head coach Margaret Richards is in her sixth season at A&M, having previously served as an assistant at Clemson University.

Last season, the Lady Bulldogs scored 66.0 points per game and allowed just 60.2 points to opposing squads. A&M shot 42.7 percent from the field, 28.7 percent from behind the arc, and 63.9 percent from the charity stripe. The Lady Bulldogs also had a +5.1 rebounding advantage.

A&M returns leading scorer and former First Team All-Conference honoree Dariauna Lewis, who averaged 17.8 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. She shot 60.4 percent from the floor and had 35 blocks in 17 games. Grad student guard Deshawna Harper added 15.2 points and had a team-high 43 made three pointers.

LAST TIME OUT
Dayton won its preseason contest against IUP at home last Friday, 83-46. The Flyers had five players in double digits and led by as much as 41 points. Whalen had a team-high 16 points.

Alabama A&M did not have a preseason this year, but last played on March 11 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, falling to Grambling, 58-50. The Bulldogs were outscored 22-9 in the fourth quarter.

THE SERIES
Dayton and Alabama A&M are meeting for the first time in program history.

STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Last season, the Flyers ranked eighth in the nation in rebound margin and 10th in rebounds per game. Dayton was also 24th in field goal percentage defense and 31st in blocked shots per game. Individually, Tenin Magassa was 19th in Division I in blocked shots while Araion Bradshaw was 15th in assist to turnover ratio and Erin Whalen was 31st in three point field goal percentage.

FLYERS FAVORITE IN PRESEASON POLL
Dayton was picked to as preseason favorites after winning the A-10 regular season in 2020-21. The Flyers received 11 first-place votes and were selected ahead of Rhode Island, Fordham, Saint Louis, and VCU.

PRESEASON HONORS
The Atlantic 10 released its preseason all-conference teams and recognized four Flyers ahead of the upcoming campaign. Grad student Jenna Giacone was named First Team while fellow grad student Erin Whalen was named Second Team. Sophomore center Tenin Magassa was named to the Third Team and grad student Araion Bradshaw picked up All-Defensive Team accolades.

FLYERS DOMINATE IN EXHIBITION
The Flyers had one preseason game this year on Nov. 5 at home where they defeated IUP 83-46. Dayton had five players in double-figures scoring and shot 61.2 percent from the field, higher than any total the previous season.

BRADSHAW NAMED A-10 WOMAN OF THE YEAR NOMINEE
The Atlantic 10 Conference chose its NCAA Woman of the Year nominees and selected University of Dayton graduate student Araion Bradshaw as one of the two representatives. Bradshaw is the point guard with the women's basketball program and entering her fifth year at UD this fall. The Boston, Mass. native has helped lead the Flyers to four A-10 Championship titles. Bradshaw is a graduate student with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, master's in engineering management, and working on her master's in business management.

Off the court, she has been just as impactful. She started the Athletes Driving Change organization that is a group of minority A-10 women's basketball players focused on the mission to "promote permanent change toward equality through the voices of Atlantic 10 female athletes using a unified and inclusive platform." She earned the Social Justice Award at this year's R.U.D.Y.S. Banquet for her work on equality and education. Bradshaw is a passionate and vocal leader in the community and has represented the University with the upmost integrity.

FLYERS DOMINATE A-10 MAJOR HONORS
The Atlantic 10 Conference released its end-of-the-season awards the week prior to the tournament and recgonized three Flyers with major awards. Redshirt senior Jenna Giacone was named Most Improved Player as well as First Team All-Conference. Fellow senior Araion Bradshaw took home Defensive Player of the Year accolades as well as Third Team and All-Defensive team. Freshman center Tenin Magassa was named Sixth Woman of the Year and named to the All-Rookie Team. On top of that, redshirt senior Erin Whalen was named to the Second Team and All-Academic team, totaling nine awards for the Flyers.

FLYERS CLINCH SIXTH A-10 TITLE
After going 12-1 in the regular season, the Flyers clinched their sixth overall regular season league title and second straight. It was also the fourth in five years under head coach Shauna Green.

FLYERS IN REGULAR SEASON LEAGUE PLAY
Dayton has won 126 of its last 153 regular season Atlantic 10 games (.827), 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'VE GOT AN AUDIENCE
On Dec. 5, 2019, the Flyers played in front of 10,554 fans at UD Arena while hosting Morehead State. The record-breaking 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. It was the fourth largest crowd for a NCAA women's game this year and biggest in program history.

THREE POINTS OF EXCELLENCE
Dayton has hit at least one three-point shot in 620 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.

OFF TO A HOT START
Dayton has found much success under Coach Green in the month of January, going 34-2 in her first five seasons as head coach of the Flyers. That includes going undefeated in four of her five seasons.

POSTSEASON EXPECTATION
The Flyers have made 14-consecutive postseason appearances between the NCAA Division I Tournament and the Women's National Invitational Tournament. Here are the past 14 campaigns
Year    Record    Postseason
2020-21    14-5    WNIT - 1st Round
2019-20    25-8    NCAA Tournament - Canceled due to COVID-19
2018-19    17-14    WNIT - 1st Round
2017-18    23-6    NCAA Tournament - 1st Round
2016-17    22-10    NCAA Tournament - 1st Round
2015-16    14-15    WNIT - 1st Round
2014-15    27-6    NCAA Tournament - Elite Eight
2013-14    23-8    NCAA Tournament - 1st Round
2012-13    28-3    NCAA Tournament - 2nd Round
2011-12    23-7    NCAA Tournament - 1st Round
2010-11    21-12    NCAA Tournament - 1st Round
2009-10    25-8    NCAA Tournament - 1st Round
2008-09    21-14    WNIT - 2nd Round
2007-08    25-9    WNIT - 1st Round

70'S THE MAGIC NUMBER
Since the 2009-10 season, Dayton is 174-22 (.895) 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 2019-20 when reaching that mark.
2020-21    4-2
2019-20    10-2
2018-19    12-2
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    174-22

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".

APPLEWHITE RETURNS TO DAYTON, JOINS STAFF
Head coach Shauna Green announced the addition of Olivia Applewhite as an assistant coach.

Applewhite joins the Flyers after spending the past five seasons at Atlantic 10 rival Saint Louis University where she served as assistant coach and prior to that, director of operations/ video coordinator and graduate assistant. She has been responsible for post-player development including guiding Kendra Wilken to Most Improved Player and Third Team All-Conference honors in 2019-20, as well as helping Brooke Flowers earn All-Defensive Team and Third Team All-Conference in 2020-21. In 2020, Applewhite was also named to the prestigious WBCA Thirty Under 30 Honoree list.

Applewhite returns to her alma mater Dayton ('13) where she played four years with the Flyers and was a part of four NCAA tournament appearances. The forward out of Forestville, Md. capped off her stellar career earning Atlantic 10 Sixth Woman of the Year honors in 2013. She also served as team captain and still ranks in the Top 15 all-time in games played in program history with 121 appearances. She received her master's degree in student personnel administration in her time at SLU after earning her bachelor's degree in public relations and minor in marketing at UD. Applewhite went on to play three seasons professionally overseas in France, Ireland, and Denmark, each season leading her team, and twice the league, in rebounding. After finishing up her playing career, she enter the coaching field and joined SLU as a graduate assistant.

UP NEXT
The Flyers remain at home to host Duke University Friday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at UD Arena.