CINCINNATI - The University of Dayton women's basketball team traveled south to take on Xavier University Tuesday evening as UD picked up a big road win, 71-66.
The Flyers (2-1) make it two wins in a row while the Musketeers (2-1) dropped their first game of the season.
GAME BREAKDOWN
1st Quarter: Dayton 13, Xavier 16
- UD jumped out to an early lead as junior Ajok Madol took the opening tip to the house and scored the layup within the first few seconds of the game.
- Xavier on the other hand was cold to start the game, going 0-for-3 until the hosts were finally able to get on the board at the 7:00 mark.
- Madol had the first couple of baskets for the Flyers as they entered the media break with a 7-4 deficit.
- Dayton suffered during a nearly three-minute drought while committing three turnovers.
- The Flyers broke their skid with a drive and foul drawn by sophomore Olivia Leung, who hit the free throw to end the scoreless stretch.
- Sophomore Molly O'Riordan nailed a big three at the 1:24 mark to make it a one-point game.
- Six different Flyers scored in the opening quarter.
2nd Quarter: Dayton 24, Xavier 25
- Senior Shantavia Dawkins drove to the hoop and earned a contested basket to start things off for UD in the second.
- Leung followed suit with a three at the 6:42 mark to give the Flyers the 18-16 lead.
- Midway through the second, it was now Dayton looking at a 20-17 advantage.
- Dawkins hit two more free throws after drawing another foul from the Musketeers, but a three on the other end gave Xavier back the 23-22 lead with just over three to go in the half.
- Dayton went cold again from the field, over a 1-for-8 stretch, while the Musketeers added to their advantage.
- Neither team was able to convert a field goal over the last 3:24 of the half.
- The Flyers shot 31 percent overall in the first 20 minutes and 20 percent from three point range while holding the Musketeers to 22 percent overall and 27 percent from behind the arc.
- O'Riordan led UD with six points and 10 rebounds while Dawkins had five points.
3rd Quarter: Dayton 50, Xavier 44
- After sitting out much of the first half due to foul trouble, senior Nayo Lear drove to the bucket for an acrobatic bucket to put UD back on top to start the second. She followed that up with the next basket to make it four straight for the Illinois native.
- Dayton jumped out to a 31-28 lead before a pair of free throws put Xavier ahead once again with 6:24 to go in the third.
- Madol then drilled a three after Dawkins got her own rebound to tie it up at 34-34.
- The two teams traded buckets for the next few minutes as both teams found a rhythm offensively.
- Madol hit three straight threes for Flyers to even the score at 40-40 and 2:34 to go in the third. She became the first Flyer in double figures.
- Dawkins then got a season-high of her own with a layup and a three to force a Xavier timeout and put UD up 45-40.
- Graduate student Nicole Stephens took over down the stretch with a pair of baskets including an and-one to put Dayton ahead six going into the fourth.
4th Quarter: Dayton 71, Xavier 66
- Lear recorded a steal and layup to start the Flyers off with a bang in the fourth, pushing the margin to eight in favor of UD.
- Junior Fatima Ibrahim showed her strength next time down the floor and scored the contested bucket to make it a 10-point game.
- Xavier was forced to call another timeout with 7:09 to play and down 14 points.
- The Musketeers didn't get their first points of the fourth until the 5:47 mark on a free throw. They didn't make a field goal until 4:24 on the clock.
- Xavier closed the gap to just eight points 60-52, but Dayton never faltered and kept pushing the tempo.
- Ibrahim scored six straight points for Dayton and the visitors held on to the road win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10 –
Molly O'Riordan recorded 10 rebounds in the first half alone, already a career high. She finished with 13 to go with six points and three assists.
10 –
Shantavia Dawkins finished with a season-high 10 points.
14 –
Ajok Madol tied a career high with 14 points including another career high with three made threes.
14 –
Fatima Ibrahim also tied a season high with 14 points while grabbing eight boards.
45% - Dayton shot 45 percent from the field while holding Xavier to 31 percent.
UP NEXT
The Flyers will return home to host Belmont University Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. at UD Arena.
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