DAYTON, Ohio. - The University of Dayton women's basketball team earned their first win of the season Thursday night, defeating Mercyhurst 86-44 in the home opener at UD Arena. 

The Flyers (1-1) continue the 2025-26 season with a dominant victory while the Lakers (0-2) still look for their first win.

GAME BREAKDOWN
1st Quarter: Dayton 22, Mercyhurst 7

• Dayton had a hot start with junior Fatima Ibrahim winning the tip-off to assist junior Ajok Madol for a layup in the first minute of play. 
• Sophomore Jordyn Poole found an easy opportunity at 5:08 to assist wide-open sophomore Molly O'Riordan in the paint.
• Senior Nayo Lear drained a three with ease off the fast break to top off the Flyers 11-0 scoring run in five minutes. 
• Poole, and senior Shantavia Dawkins had back-to-back layups for the Flyers, giving them a 10-point lead with just under three minutes left in the first quarter.  
• Graduate student Nicole Stephens made a risky but successful pass to assist O'Riordan for a layup at 1:28 to keep Dayton ahead 
• Stephens makes a buzzer-beater three, assisted by Madol, to close the quarter for the Flyers.  

2nd Quarter: Dayton 41, Mercyhurst 25

• Madol put the first points on the board for the quarter with a jump shot off a Laker turnover at 8:54. 
• Ibrahim made a lay-up at 5:19 to put the Flyers ahead 17-26.
• After a Mercyhurst run, Lear sank a jumper for a quick two points, shortly followed by two made free throws for four points in under 30 seconds. 
• Sophomore Olivia Leung drained a sweet three-pointer off a Mercyhurst turnover with 2:36 left in the quarter. 
• Assisted by Stephens, Junior Jayda Johnson made a three at 1:53 to put the score at 36-25.
• After a lay-up by Ibrahim at 1:20, Leung sank another three just under the one minute mark to put the final points on the board for the quarter.
• Ibrahim highlighted this quarter with four points, two blocks, and two lay-ups. Leung finished the quarter with six points and two rebounds. Finally, Dayton's longest run this quarter was 7-0 in just over two minutes. 

3rd Quarter: Dayton 64, Mercyhurst 33

• Leung makes a second-chance layup at 9:15 to start off the third quarter for the Flyers. 
• Madol sank a jumper to give the Flyers a 20-point lead at 8:36. 
• Leung made a swift steal to turn around for a layup for her second basket in under two minutes. 
• Ibrahim got her first points on the board for the quarter with a lay-up at 6:49 to add to Dayton's lead. 
• Leung stepped to the line and sank a free throw to bring the Flyers to 50 points with just over five minutes left in the quarter. 
• Lear drained a basket at 5:51 for two followed up by Leung with a lay-up at 5:10, bringing the score to 54-25 Flyers. 
• Lear tops off the Flyers longest scoring run of the game, 14-0, with a jumper at 4:13
• Sophomore Kamryn Grant made two shots from behind the line at 2:36 to bring the Flyers to a 33 point lead. 
• Stephens appeared at the line shortly after, sinking two shots with just over two minutes of play left in the third quarter. 

4th Quarter: Dayton 86, Mercyhurst 44

• Madol made a long pass to Dawkins for a layup in the first minute of the quarter. The Flyers start the quarter with a 28-point lead over the Lakers for a score of 66-38. 
• Stephens sank a quick jump shot in the paint at 7:50 followed with another one by O'Riordan under a minute later, bringing the score to Dayton 70, Mercyhurst 38
• Lear sank a jumper at 6:19 and a lay-up at 5:19 for four points in one minute.
• Madol found an opportunity and made a second chance three-point jump shot at 4:24 to put up a few quick points with under 5 minutes left. 
• Layups from Lear then Stephens bring the Flyers to an over 40-point lead with about three minutes left in the game. 
• Dawkins hit a jumper at 1:25 to put the score at 84-38, Flyers lead.
• Senior Eleanor Monyek scored the final points for the Flyers with a lay-up at 00:23 to close out a great game.  

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
24 - Dayton's longest scoring run. The Flyers scored 24 points in just over eight minutes. 
20 - Nayo Lear scored 20 points, leading all scorers. 
9 - Rebounds by Olivia Leung. To add to her performance tonight, she had 14 points and two assists. 
35 - Points scored by Dayton in the paint. The Flyers outscored the Lakers in the paint by 22 points, 35-13. 
45 - Rebounds by the Flyers. 45 rebounds from Dayton almost doubled the 25 from Mercyhurst. 
25 - The Flyers held the Lakers to 25% from behind the arc, going 8-32. 
 
UP NEXT
The Flyers will travel to Cincinnati on Tuesday, Nov. 11 to play the Xavier University Musketeers at 6:30 p.m. at the Cintas Center. 

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