DAYTON – The University of Dayton women's basketball team welcomed the Duquesne Dukes Saturday afternoon and battled for their first A-10 win. 

The Flyers (8-6, 1-2 A-10) outlasted the Dukes (7-7, 0-3 A-10) in a back-and-forth battle to open the new year with a win.

Dayton was led by Molly O'Riordan, who had a career-high 23 points, 15 of which came from behind the arc. Three other Flyers, Nayo Lear, Nicole Stephens and Olivia Leung also scored double-digits in the competition.

GAME RECAP

1st Quarter – Dayton 14, Duquesne 17

• Senior Nayo Lear scored the team's first points with a solo layup

• Sophomore Olivia Leung sunk a three-pointer to put the Flyers in the lead early on

• Sophomore Molly O'Riordan made a layup

• O'Riordan had a quick turnaround and made a jump shot to bring the score to Dayton 9, Duquesne 4

• Lear went two for two at the line 

• O'Riordan kept her scoring streak rolling with a made three-pointer with 1:21 to go in the first quarter

2nd Quarter – Dayton 32, Duquesne 33

• Graduate Student Nicole Stephens made a jumper to kick off the second quarter

• Leung scored six points in under 30 seconds, hitting a three and finishing an and-one on the next possession with 6:37 on the clock

• O'Riordan entered double-digit scoring with a three-pointer, bringing the score to Dayton 25, Duquesne 22

• O'Riordan met the rim to put in a reverse layup 

• Stephens went two for two from the charity stripe

• Junior Ajok Madol found the assist from Stephens and drained a three for her first points of the game, making the score Flyers 32, Dukes 31

3rd Quarter – Dayton 44, Duquesne 49

• Stephens put up a layup off an opponent turnover at the 5:27 mark

• Leung found success at the free-throw line for her 10th and 11th points of the game

• Stephens made three buckets in the paint in about one minute, making the score Dayton 42, Duquesne 47

• Lear made two of two free throws, tightening the gap between the Flyers and Dukes
   

4th Quarter – Dayton 68, Duquesne 61

• Leung came out firing and made a three-pointer to begin the final quarter

• O'Riordan regained her title as lead scorer with another made three at the (minute)

• O'Riordan kept the momentum going with another three from an assist from Jayda Johnson

• Going back-to-back-to-back, O'Riordan made her third three to put the Flyers in the lead, 58-57 with 5:41 remaining in the game

• Madol put in a layup for her fifth point 

• Lear drained a corner three to regain the lead in the back-and-forth match, Dayton 63, Duquesne 61

• Stephens followed suit in the scoring frenzy and made a quick layup with 1:47 remaining

• Lear scored on a fast break for her 11th point of the game with 0:46 on the clock, Dayton 67, Duquesne 61 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 4 - Flyers (Nicole Stephens, Molly O'Riordan, OIivia Leung, Nayo Lear) reached double-digit scoring 

• 7 - scored a season high of 7 assists for Stephens

• 9 - Stephens matched her career high rebounds 

• 14 - Stephens and Leung scored 14 points each

• 23 - Scored a career high of 23 points for O'Riordan

• 24 - Points scored in the fourth quarter by the Flyers

UP NEXT

The Flyers will remain home to host Loyola Chicago next, on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. at UD Arena.

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