March 22, 2009

Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The University of Dayton women's basketball team saw one its best seasons in program history end in dramatic fashion. With a last second tip-in by Indiana the Flyers lost their second round Women's National Invitation game, 59-57.

Dayton never led in the game and was defeated in the final second after a long pass from Kim Roberson and tip-in by Whitney Thomas. Junior Kendel Ross who finished the game with eight points and seven rebounds, made a pivotal three with 0.8 seconds on the clock to tie it up, but UD never got the chance to battle it out in overtime.

"I'm disappointed that our season ends like this," said head coach Jim Jabir. "It's not fair to our kids. I felt that in spite of our youth we were good enough to win the game. We overcame their pressure and our turnovers. The officials did not give me any explanation.

"I am very proud of our youngsters and it's unfortunate that an inadvertent whistle with 0.6 seconds left called the game. It was an amazing pass and shot but it should have never got to that."

UD closes the campaign with a 21-14 record for its second back-to-back 20-win season and one of its most successful since turning Division I.

The Flyers were led by three players in double figures including Kristin Daugherty (14 points), De'Sarae Chambers (10 points), and Kayla Moses (10 points). The team held a commanding lead in bench points 22-2.

For Indiana, Jaime Braun led the way with a game-high 16 points, while teammate Whitney Thomas led all rebounders with 14 boards.

The first half was slow to start as the score was knotted for two minutes at 4-4. Indiana's Braun and Amber Jackson would score a basket each for a four-point IU lead.

From that point on the score was tied up three times in the frame, but Dayton would never lead in the half. IU had its largest lead by four points three times, but would only take a two point advantage into the break, 24-22.

The Flyers struggled from three-point range in the first, going a season-low 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. Turnovers also hindered UD as the Flyers committed 11 to IU's seven.

Kristin Daugherty would bury a jumper 30 seconds into the second frame, but Whitney Thomas would get a shot up on the next possession to tie it up once again.

The two teams would tie it up twice more before the Hoosiers would make their first run on a 7-0 spurt behind Braun who sank a trey and hit two free throws. A fast break lay-up from Lindsay Enterline would move the score 35-28 with 14:23 remaining.

After being scoreless for over three minutes, Ross made UD's first three-pointer of the game. Fellow teammate Kalya Moses scored on a shot the next time down to close the gap 38-25 with 10 minutes to go.

But the Hoosiers were relentless with another 7-0 spurt.

Dayton brought it to within three points behind Patrice Lalor who sank a three at 6:30, but Davis answered back to move the score 47-42 with six minutes left in the game.

Back-to-back treys from IU's Davis and Kim Roberson would give Indiana its largest lead of the game by nine points, 53-44 with 3:43 left in the game.

But Dayton continued to chip away as Chambers hit two consecutive three's and Daugherty would score two straight to bring the score within one point with under a minute to go, 55-54.

Jackson would get two more points up for the Hoosiers, but Ross would knock down a three to tie it up, 57-57.

An inadvertent whistle by the officials gave IU the ball at mid-court with less than a second on the clock. A long pass from Roberson and tip-in from IU's Thomas would win the game for Indiana, 59-57.