Jan. 15, 2006

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DAYTON, Ohio - Karah Cloxton scored a career-high 11 points (with four assists in just 13 minutes) as the University of Dayton women's basketball team fended off the Richmond Spiders, 67-62, Sunday afternoon at UD Arena. Terri Ramsey scored a season-high 11 points and Cara Wright added her eighth double-double of the year as the Flyers (12-4, 4-1 Atlantic 10) won for the sixth time in seven games.

Jennifer Strong hit three free throws in the final minute to finish with 11 points, and Angela Cape added a season-high tying eight points and eight rebounds. The Flyers dominated the glass over the Spiders, holding a 45-30 edge in rebounding. Dayton also connected on 57.1 percent from three-point range (eight-of-14).

The game featured five ties and eight lead changes - five lead changes in the second half -- but the Flyers used a 13-2 run midway through the second half to take control and managed to hold on in the final seconds thanks to a blocked shot from Ashley Armstrong on Araceli Gill. It was sweet revenge for UD on Gill, who spoiled the Flyers senior day last season by hitting a pair of free throws with 7.2 seconds left in Richmond's 78-77 overtime win.

Gill finished with 17 points and five assists, while Mirna Mazic led the Spiders (7-10, 2-3 A-10) with 19 points and 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the year.

After Richmond jumped out to an early 7-3 lead, Ramsey swished a three-pointer to pull UD within one, and after UR's Kelly Roche hit a jumper, Jennifer Strong tied it at 9-9 with a three-ball from the corner.

Each team came out with a hot-hand, as Richmond connected on five of its first nine shots, while Dayton hit four of its first six.

Armstrong gave the Flyers a 14-11 lead with a three-pointer, and Cloxton extended it to a five-point edge with a baseline runner. After DeUnna Hendrix responded with a basket, Cloxton hit a three for a 19-13 edge. The Spiders climbed back to 23-20, but Cloxton answered with another three as the Flyers connected on four of their first six attempts from three-point-land.

Mazic scored inside to tie the game at 28-28, and then Gill gave the Spiders their first lead since 11-9 with a three-pointer from the top of the key. Wright scored inside for the final bucket of the half as the Spiders took a 31-30 lead into intermission.

After starting out hot from the field, the Flyers finished the half with a 37.5 percentage (12-of-32), but connect on five-of-seven from three. The Spiders shot 41.9 percent from the field (13-of-31). Gill led all scorers with 10 points at the break, while Cloxton paced the Flyers with eight points on three-of-five shooting (two-of-three from three point range), and three assists in just eight minutes. Wright added six points and seven first-half rebounds as the Flyers controlled the glass, 23-15.

Mazic scored the first basket of the second half, but Kiki Lund hit a 17-footer in transition. Lund then gave the Flyers a 36-35 lead with a baseline jumper with 15:51 left to play. Tied 39-39, the two teams traded three-pointers before Hendrix knocked down a triple to put Richmond on top, 45-42.

But Dayton reeled off a 13-2 run over the next six minutes. After a pair for free throws from Nikki Oakland, Cloxton gave UD the lead back at 47-45, Wright scored back-to-back baskets off feeds from Cloxton. Brittany Holterman drove to the hoop for a lay-up to give UD the eight-point lead at 55-47 with 7:40 to go before Mazic finally ended the Spider drought with a pair of free throws.

With the shot clock running down, Armstrong found Cape in the paint for a bucket to retain the eight-point advantage. After a pair of free throws by each team, Cape scored inside again, as the Flyers led 61-54 with 3:55 to go. Each team traded baskets with the Flyers milking the shot clock to its final seconds.

Mazic hit a three with 36.6 seconds left as the Spiders clawed back to within four, 63-59. After Ramsey hit a free throw, Gill connected on a rainbow three to make it a two-point game, 64-62 with 20.3 left. Jennifer Strong made a free throw, and Armstrong deflected a shot from Gill with 12.1 seconds remaining. Strong came up with the rebound and nailed two free throws to ice the win.

The Flyers are back in action Thursday at home against Xavier in an Atlantic 10 contest. The contest tips off at 7:00 p.m. at UD Arena. Dayton sits in second place in the A-10 headed into Thursday's game with its archrival, one game back of George Washington, who handed UD its only conference loss of the year.