Feb. 3, 2006

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DAYTON, Ohio - - Sophomore Karah Cloxton handed out a career-high 13 assists and scored 11 points for her first career double-double, and Cara Wright scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her Atlantic 10 leading 12th double-double, but A-10 co-leader Charlotte held off the upset minded Dayton women's basketball team, 86-74 Friday night at UD Arena.

The Flyers (14-6; 6-3 A-10) also got 18 points from senior Jennifer Strong and a season-high 11 points from senior center Angela Cape, but it wasn't enough for UD to knock off the 49ers (15-5; 8-1 A-10). Charlotte, which is receiving votes in the Top 25, shot 49 percent from the field (33-of-67). Sakellie Daniels led Charlotte with 23 points while Whitney Hoey added 13.

Cloxton was a perfect four-for-four from the field and added three steals on the day before her birthday. Her 13 assists was one off the UD record of 14, held by two players. Eight of her assists came in the second half, and she finished one short of tying the UD record for most assists in a half.

Cape was also perfect from the field, five-for-five, and chipped in three assists of her own. Wright, UD's All-Conference senior forward, added a block and a pair of steals to her double-double effort and her fourth game with 20 or more points.

Dayton, which trailed by 15 just after halftime, out-scored the 49ers 20-7 over a four-minute stretch in the second half and shot 66.7 percent in the final frame (14-of-21). For the game, UD shot 56.6 percent from the field, 30-of-53, its best shooting game of the season.

Daniels hit back-to-back threes for the 49ers to open the game, with Kiki Lund and Wright scoring on jumpers for UD. Angela Cape beat the shot clock with a 15-foot jumper to pull Dayton to within 10-6 four minutes in. After trading baskets in the paint, Terri Ramsey went coast to coast for a lay-up as UD closed the margin to 18-12.

But the 49ers took control with an 11-4 run before Wright scored inside off a feed from Brittany Holterman. Amber Peterink followed that up with a jumper as the Flyers cut it to nine, 29-20 with 8:56 left, but the `Niners pushed the lead out to 38-22 after a three by Andrea Davidson.

Cloxton beat the end of the half with a driving lay-up to cap a 6-0 Dayton run to end the first period, and pull UD to down a dozen, 44-32.

Wright led UD 10 points at the half, while grabbing six rebounds. Cape added six points and a blocked shot. Daniels led Charlotte with 12 points at halftime and Whiney Hoey added seven. Each team shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half (54.5 for Charlotte, 50.0 for UD).

Dayton opened the second half with a jumper from Jennifer Strong and after Hoey hit a three, the Flyers reeled off six straight points, capped by a lay-up inside from Wright. The surge brought UD to within nine, 49-40, with just 2:43 gone by in the second.

Three free throws stretched it to a 9-0 UD run, and after Hoey hit another three, Wright scored inside while being fouled. The `and-one' brought Dayton to within six, 52-46.

Lund and Strong hit a pair of three-pointers after Charlotte baskets to cut the margin to 56-52 and Wright made it a one-possession game with a bucket inside.But four free throws from the 49ers gave Charlotte a 64-56 lead with 9:07 remaining.

After Charlotte stretched it out to 14, Dayton went on an 8-0 run. Cape was fouled inside and converted the three-point play, and after a steal by Cloxton, Jennifer Strong connected on a long-two point jumper and then a three from the corner to make it a 73-67 game with 5:20 remaining.

But the Flyers could come no closer than seven as the Charlotte pressure defense forced the Flyers into 28 turnovers.

UD shot three-of-four from three-point range in the second half to nearly erase a deficit that was once as large as 20.

Dayton is back in action on Sunday at UD Arena as the Flyers play host to St. Bonaventure in a 2:00 p.m. A-10 game. The game can be seen live in most Atlantic 10 markets on Atlantic 10 Television, but will air tape-delayed at 8:00 p.m. in the Dayton area on Fox Sports Ohio.