NORMAL, Ill. - The University of Dayton women's basketball team tipped-off the 2025-26 season at Illinois State University Monday night and suffered an 87-76 loss.
 
The Flyers (0-1) start off the campaign in a tough environment while the Redbirds (1-0) defended their home court.
 
GAME BREAKDOWN
1st Quarter: Dayton 15, Illinois State 18

• Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, but the hosts were the first to get on the scoreboard with a three at the top of the key to give them the initial lead.
• Junior Fatima Ibrahim hit a free throw at the 7:54 mark to put UD on the board and earned her first point as a Flyer.
• The Redbirds jumped out to a 9-1 advantage before senior Nayo Lear drilled a three to end the rally for ISU.
• Sophomore Olivia Leung scored five straight for Dayton to cut the margin to two just before the midway point in the first.
• Leung added another layup after the break to tie the game up at 11-11 with three and a half to go.
• Dayton held Illinois State without a bucket for 4:50 down the stretch.
• Leung and Lear had seven points and made three each to power the Flyer attack.

 
2nd Quarter: Dayton 38, Illinois State 41

• Sophomore Molly O'Riordan had a nice rebound and putback to start the second, followed by a touch floater to give UD its first lead of the game. She also scored the first six points of the quarter for the Flyers.
• After an Illinois State run, junior Jayda Johnson hit a big three at the top of the key to tie it up at 24-24 with 6:43 to go in the half.
• Lear then drove to the basket, where UD has found most of its success, to cap the 7-0 run and taking a 26-24 lead.
• At the media timeout, the Redbirds held a narrow 27-26 lead.
• Illinois State answered with a run of its own to pull ahead 37-28, forcing a Dayton timeout with 2:21 on the clock.
• Jayda Johnson scored the next five points for the Flyers as they looked to pull closer before the half.
• Both teams shot over 50 percent in the first half and the Redbirds had a 14-4 points off turnover advantage while the Flyers had a 10-2 points off the bench lead.
• For Dayton's first 16 made field goals, 13 came from the guards.

 
3rd Quarter: Dayton 53, Illinois State 67

• Lear drove to the bucket to start the second half, continuing what was working for Dayton in the first 20 minutes.
• Junior Fatima Ibrahim had an and-one at the 8:39 mark to score her first field goal for Dayton and tie the game again at 43-43.
• Unfortunately for the Flyers, fouls piled up and they put the Redbirds in the bonus by the 7:27 mark.
• Redshirt freshman Jordyn Poole showed her skills on both ends of the floor with a steal and finish to pull UD within one, 48-47.
• A 6-0 run put ISU ahead by seven midway through the third, 54-47. That was amidst a 7-for-7 stretch for the hosts.
• The Redbirds continued to push the tempo as the Flyers went cold from the field and extended their lead to double digits with just over three minutes to go in the third.
• ISU managed to hold UD without a field goal for the final 4:40.

 
4th Quarter: Dayton 76, Illinois State 87

• The Flyers faced a double-digit deficit, but stayed aggressive early in the fourth.
• Dayton was forced to call another timeout with 6:54 in the game as Illinois State used an 8-0 run to pull ahead by 22, 75-53.
• UD's first field goal of the quarter came with 6:45 on a layup from Lear.
• She followed that up with a three from the corner to give her a new career-high of 22 points.
• Senior Eleanor Monyek came in and got a tough bucket and the foul to add to UD's bench total.
• In the end, Dayton wasn't able to catch Illinois State and fell in the season opener.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
12 – Nayo Lear's 12 points in the first half tied her season high from last season alone. She finished with a new career-high of 22 points on the game, going 9-for-15.
14 and 9 – Newcomers Fatima Ibrahim and Jordyn Poole contributed 14 points and a career-high nine points respectively in their Dayton debut.
5-for-5 – Ibrahim was also a perfect 5-for-5 from the field to go with a team-high seven rebounds.
52.6% - Dayton shot 52.6 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three point range.
19.2% - The Flyers held the Redbirds on the other hand to 19.2 percent from behind the arc, going 5-for-26.
54 to 42 – Illinois State outscored Dayton 54-42 on points in the paint.

UP NEXT
The Flyers will head home to host Mercyhurst University Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at UD Arena in the home opener.
 
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