DAYTON – The University of Dayton women's basketball team used a strong fourth quarter and had a breakout performance by sophomore Makira Cook to down visiting Alabama A&M Tuesday at UD Arena in its regular season opener. Cook scored a game- and career-high 23 points and also tied her career high with six rebounds. Dayton redshirt senior Jenna Giacone registered a double-double with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.

The Flyers are 1-0 to start the season, while the Lady Bulldogs start the 2021-22 season 0-1. Alabama A&M was led by Kierra Johnson-Graham with 14 points and Dariauna Lewis with a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.

KEY MOMENTS
4^th quarter – The Flyers had just one three-point field goal made in the first half, and exploded for seven made in the second half, including four in the fourth quarter, shooting 66.7 percent from behind the arc in the final quarter. Giacone drained a three to start the period. Redshirt senior Erin Whalen scored 11 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter with nine points coming from three made treys.

GAME BREAKDOWN
1^st Quarter: Dayton 14, Alabama A&M 13

• It took just 10 seconds for the Flyers to get on the board in their season opener. Giacone knocked down a layup on a spin move and drive to the basket to put UD up 2-0.
• Alabama A&M's Johnson-Graham hit a pair of free throws at 6:07 to tie it 6-6.
• Darian Burgin buried a trey at 1:44 to give Alabama A&M its first lead and on the Flyers' next possession, a steal and fastbreak layup by Nigeria Jones gave Alabama A&M its largest lead of the game, 13-9 with 1:27 to play in the first period.
• A three by redshirt senior Araion Bradshaw after an offensive board by Giacone got the Flyers within one with 33 seconds on the clock.
• Cook nabbed a defensive rebound and took the ball the distance of the court, scoring on a fastbreak at the buzzer to give UD the 14-13 lead after 10 minutes of action. Cook led all scorers with seven points at the break.

2^nd Quarter: Dayton 23, Alabama A&M 25

• The Flyer defense held the Lady Bulldogs to a 4:23 scoring drought, ended by a second-chance jumper with 4:56 left to play in the half.
• UD hit a slump as well, going 0-for-7 over a span of 4:15.
• Alabama A&M's Deshawn Harper hit 1-of-2 free throws to tie the game at 21 at the 2:55 mark.
• Sophomore Capria Brown's layup at 1:51 gave UD its lead back, 23-21.
• A jumper by Jones and a pair of free throws Harper put the Lady Bulldogs up 25-23 with 20.9 seconds left in the half.
• The Flyers had the last shot but could not replicate the buzzer beater of the first quarter.
• Cook led Dayton with nine points and five rebounds, while Jones led A&M, also with nine points. Bradshaw added seven points and Giacone had five points.
• Rebounding was even with each team grabbing 22.
• Both teams struggled from the field with Dayton hitting 35 percent of its shots (9-of-26) and A&M at 24 percent (8-of-34).

3^rd Quarter: Dayton 48, Alabama A&M 42

• Both teams scored on their first possessions of the second half.
• Junior Mariah Perez scored on an inbound play from Cook to give UD the lead back, 31-30, at the 7:52 mark.
• Cook hit a layup as part of an 8-0 UD run and the Flyers built a 35-30 lead at the 6:49 mark.
• Cook remained hot with a three-pointer at 5:18 to put Dayton up 38-34, and hit again with a behind-the-back dribble drive to the basket at 3:52 to put UD up 40-34. She hit again with a trey at 1:48 mark. She scored 10 consecutive points for the Flyers.
• Whalen knocked down a three (at 1:22) and Giacone hit a jumper (with 17 seconds remaining), and A&M missed at the buzzer for a 48-42 Flyer lead going into the fourth quarter.

4^th Quarter: Dayton 73, Alabama A&M 52

• Giacone kicked off the fourth quarter with a three-pointer at the 9:17 mark with the feed from Bradshaw to put UD up 51-42.
• Cook gave Dayton its first double-digit lead, 53-42, with a layup with 6:25 left on the clock.
• Whalen had back-to-back baskets, a jumper and a three-pointer as both teams traded baskets. Dayton held a 60-52 lead at the 3:53 mark.
• Whalen treys at the 2:38 and 1:43 marks extended the Flyer lead to 69-52. She hit three treys in the fourth quarter.
• UD used a 13-0 run over 3:40 to close out the game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
44% - Dayton shot 44 percent in the game and 77 percent from the free throw line.
44 to 40 – The Flyers outrebounded the Lady Bulldogs 44-40. 
17%  – UD's defense held Alabama A&M to just 17 percent (2-of-12) from behind the arc.
13 to 4 – Dayton's runouts led to 13 fastbreak points compared to just four for Alabama A&M
28 and 16 – The Flyers scored 28 points in the paint and had 16 second-chance points
23 and 6 – Makira Cook had a career high in points and tied her career high in rebounds. She also had career highs in field goals made (10), attempted (18).
Four – Four Flyers scored in double figures: Cook (23), Giacone (16), Whalen (16), and Bradshaw (12). Bradshaw also had a team-high four assists.

KEY STAT
UD used a 13-0 run over 3:40 to close out the game.

UP NEXT
Dayton will host Duke this Friday, Nov. 12 at UD Arena. Tipoff is 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.