Women’s Basketball Preview: GMU’s Butler Brings Test To Streaking Flyers

Steve Miller
Sports Editor

If timing is everything, then there may be no better blessing for Dayton women’s basketball’s season than George Mason coming to town on Wednesday.

With the Atlantic 10 regular season already wrapped up after a win over Fordham on Sunday, the Flyers have little to lose against the Patriots, but valuable experience to gain.

George Mason struts into Dayton on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. with the frontrunner for A-10 Player of the Year, Natalie Butler. At 6 feet 5 inches, Butler is dominant in the post and has recorded a double-double in 27 consecutive games (including a 23-point 24-rebound effort her last time out against St. Bonaventure).

“In our league we have not seen a player like her probably in my time as an assistant or head coach,” coach Shauna Green said in an interview Tuesday.

“There hasn’t been a 6’5” presence like her down on the blocks.”
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Butler is the most accomplished opposing player Dayton will face all season. She leads the A-10 in both points (18.5 per game) and rebounds (16.0 per game), the latter of which is also tops in the nation.

But, although far outsized by Butler, Dayton’s senior guard JaVonna Layfield is fourth in the nation with 12.9 rebounds per game and leads the A-10 in field goal percentage (54.0). Fellow senior guard Jenna Burdette leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage (47.1).

Facing Butler and the Patriots (21-7, 10-4, 4th in A-10) is critical late season preparation for the Flyers, who are sure to face stiff national competition should they make the NCAA Tournament.

In their final four games, UD faces three of the conferences top five teams (Fordham and George Washington, whom they already defeated, in addition to George Mason). Even though the A-10 does not boast many programs likely to give perennial powers a run in the tournament, every test helps.

“My freshman year when the A-10 was pretty strong…that’s when we made our big run. Just playing in games with [George Washington] for example,” Burdette reminisced, who was awarded A-10 Player of the Week honors on Monday.

“Your competition does help that’s why we try to play a strong non-conference schedule at the beginning of the year to get ready.”

Wednesday’s biggest challenge will be Dayton’s post players matching up against Butler, who transferred from Connecticut last year.

“You got to do your work early and keep her as far away from the block as possible,” Green said.

“We’ll do some things well double her. With Alex [Harris] and Jordan [Wilmoth], they really need to establish their ground early.”
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Although Harris is a mere 6 feet 3 inches, she’s the tallest player on Dayton’s roster. Taking pride in her responsibility to defend the best, Harris won’t be backing down.

“Especially [since Butler] is the head of their team, their leading scorer, I definitely take pride on defense,” Harris said.

“Defense is our main thing. We’re a very defensive team.”

Since the Flyers clinched the A-10 regular season title and the conference tournament’s first seed Sunday, Wednesday’s litmus test for their defense will be much less stressful than it had the possibility of being. Yet, the team is approaching this game with the championship mentality they want to carry through to the end.

“We’re pushing this game like any other game,” Green said, dispelling any thoughts of resting the starters.

“We’re trying to win these games and we’re not focused on anything else. We’re trying to go out and win this game no matter what happened on Sunday.”

Also motivating the Flyers is their current 15-game win streak, tied for fourth best in program history. The all-time program record is 18 games, which stretched from February to November of 1980.

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Dayton is now 14-0 in the A-10 with two regular season games left. Afterward, they would have to win three A-10 Tournament games to win the championship and clinch the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

“I personally would love to go undefeated all through the conference tournament,” Burdette said. “I think an undefeated conference season would just be special to look back on.”

Wednesday night’s matchup against George Mason will be the Flyers’ home finale. They finish the regular season Saturday at Saint Louis.

Pictures Courtesy of George Mason Athletics and Taken By Griffin Quinn/Staff Photographer