Women’s Basketball Recap: Flyers Prevail Over Richmond In A-10 Quarterfinals

Steve Miller
Sports Editor

Battling through a stingy Richmond defense, Dayton women’s basketball defeated the Spiders 67-58 Friday in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Richmond, Virginia.

The defensive affair in which the Flyers shot just 38 percent from the floor was the first time the team returned to the Richmond Coliseum since winning the A-10 Tournament title a year ago.

“We’ve been talking about, you just have to try to find a way,” coach Shauna Green said after the game in which Dayton made just five three pointers and turned the ball over 15 times.

“It’s not always going to be your perfect game … but we need to be able to find a way. We made plays when we had to on the defensive end, and we made some shots, made some free throws.”
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After a tight and sloppy first quarter, the Flyers scored the first nine points of the second. Junior guard Lauren Cannatelli and sophomore forward Jordan Wilmoth both hit three-pointers, and senior guard Jenna Burdette finished a three-point play to motor the Dayton run. With it, the Flyers jumped out to an eight-point advantage and marched into halftime with a 34-26 lead.

Although it was early, Dayton needed every bit of that second quarter run in the end.

Richmond came out of halftime with a tightened defense and held the Flyers to just 13 points in the third, cutting the deficit to four.

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The Spiders kept a tight grip on UD again in the fourth, trimming the lead to as few as one point with just over four minutes remaining. But Dayton used a mini-run with crucial buckets by Wilmoth and sophomore guard Jayla Scaife to retake command 57-52 with three minutes to go.

With free throws down the stretch, Dayton secured the nine-point victory. The Flyers finished the game having made 26 of 31 free throw attempts.

The box score was eerily similar to the Flyers’ 66-59 regular season victory over Richmond, during which Dayton made 17 free throws. The team knew it would be another physical contest coming in.
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“We preach that attack mode every single day,” Green said. “But how they guard and how aggressive they are and how much they get up, you have to go at them. You have to attack them, otherwise you let their pressure be an advantage to them.”

What’s Next?

In the semifinals, the Flyers will take on George Washington, Saturday at 11 a.m. The game is set to be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network.

The A-10 Championship will be Sunday at noon on ESPNU.

Photo Taken by Steve Miller/Sports Editor.