DAYTON - The University of Dayton women's basketball team advances to the NCAA Tournament First Round where they will take on the No. 6 seed University of Georgia at 7:30 p.m. ET. on Friday, March 19 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Georgia. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN News.

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton sits at 26-5 on the year and was the Atlantic 10 regular season champion after going 14-1 in league play and made it to the A-10 Championship game before falling to UMass. The Flyers still earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the last team in.

Head coach Shauna Green is in her sixth season in charge of the Flyers and was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year this season, her third time at UD. She ranks second all-time in program history in career wins.

As a team this year, Dayton is averaging 65.2 points per game and holding opponents to 54.8 points each outing. The Flyers are shooting 40.2 percent overall, 34.8 percent from three point range, and 68.3 percent from the free throw line. UD also benefits from a +6.6 rebounding margin.

Dayton is led by sophomore and A-10 Most Improved Player Makira Cook with 14.6 points per game while graduate students Erin Whalen and Jenna Giacone are chipping in 13.8 points and 12.7 points per game respectively.

SCOUTING GEORGIA
Georgia plays its first game of the NCAA Tournament after earning the No. 6 seed in the Greensboro region after going 20-9 on the year and 9-7 in SEC play. The Lady Bulldogs faced a tough conference schedule and earned quality victories over Ole Miss, Missouri (2x), and Florida.

Head coach Joni Taylor was SEC Coach of the Year last season and Nation Coach of the Year finalist. She is in her seventh season at UGA.

As a team, Georgia is scoring 69.1 points per game and holding opposing teams to just 59.0 points each outing for a +10.1 margin. The Lady Bulldogs are shooting 43.4 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from behind the arc, and 73.6 percent from the charity stripe. UGA ranks fourth in the country in blocked shots.

Leading the way for the Lady Bulldogs is SEC First Teamer Jenna Staiti, who is averaging 15.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Que Morrison contributed 13.8 points and 4.5 assists per game, picking up Second and All-Defensive team accolades.

LAST TIME OUT
Dayton dominated DePaul in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament Wednesday, 88-57. The Flyers hit 13 threes and had 14 blocks as they cruised to victory. Three Flyers had double digit points in Whalen, Cook, and Giacone.

Georgia last played in the SEC Tournament on March 3 when they suffered a 74-62 loss to No. 11 seed Alabama, who upset the Bulldogs despite a team-high 18 points from Que Morrison.

DAYTON IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Dayton holds an overall record of 6-8 in the NCAA Tournament over 10 appearances. The Flyers earned their first win in the tournament since the 2015 Elite Eight run on March 16 with the 88-57 win over DePaul.

STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Dayton ranks sixth in the nation in field goal percentage defense and 10th in defensive rebounds per game. The Flyers also rank 15th in the country in rebounds, 16th in scoring defense, and 17th in turnovers per game. Individually, Araion Bradshaw ranks 15th in the country in assist to turnover ratio while Tenin Magassa is 25th in blocked shots.

WHALEN NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Dayton graduate student Erin Whalen was named Third Team Academic All-America by CoSIDA after her achievements on the court and in the classroom. She is a two-time Academic All-District honoree and three-time Academic All-Conference award winner. She is the first honoree in 41 years and only second all-time.

THREE POINTS OF EXCELLENCE
Dayton has hit at least one three-point shot in 652 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.

POSTSEASON EXPECTATION
The Flyers have made 15-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
2021-22    26-5    NCAA First Round (Advanced in First Four Game)    
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 188-22 (.891) when scoring 70 or more points, including 11-0 in 2021-22. 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.
2021-22    11-0
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    185-22

UP NEXT
If they advance, the Flyers will move on to face the winner of No. 3 seed Iowa State and No. 14 seed UT Arlington.