Dayton Flyers

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PHILADELPHIA – The University of Dayton women’s basketball team defeated No. 2 seed Temple 66-63 in an Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Championship semifinal at Hagan Arena Sunday.

Dayton, the #3 seed, improves to 22-6 overall and will play No. 19/22 St. Bonaventure, the #1 seed, in the championship game Monday, March 5 at 5 p.m. It will be broadcast on ESPN2 with announcers Pam Ward (play-by-play) and Debbie Antonelli (analyst).

The Owls got a defensive rebound with 28 seconds and a chance for the final shot. Down just 64-63, Temple missed a layup with seven seconds to play.

UD freshman Andrea Hoover grabbed the defensive rebound and raced down the floor. She was fouled with 2.2 seconds left in the game. The 2012 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year sank both free throws to give Dayton its three-point win and chance at the program’s first ever A-10 title.

Senior Justine Raterman led the Flyers with 16 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Cassie Sant added 11 points and junior Sam MacKay also reached double figures with 10 points. Senior Patrice Lalor had eight points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Flyers won the battle of the boards, 47-45. Dayton’s bench outscored TU’s 32-19.

Temple (21-9 overall) was led by Brittany Lewis who had a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, both game and season highs.

There were six ties and seven lead changes in the game.

Dayton regained the lead for good with left 10:39 to play on a Lalor jumper at the shot clock buzzer to give the Flyers a 51-49 lead. UD went up by 10 – 61-51 – with 5:26 on a MacKay layup.

UD only scored one more field goal in the final 5:26; an offensive rebound and putback by senior Elle Queen at 4:27 which gave UD a 63-56 lead.

The Owls went on a 7-1 run to pull within one point, 64-63 with 1:18 to play.

The Flyers led 7-6 after the first media timeout and Temple went on an 8-2 run to go up 14-9 with 11:39 to play in the first half.

The Flyers used 10-0 run of their own to take an 18-14 lead on a three-pointer by Olivia Applewhite with 9:11 to play.

A pair of Applewhite free throws and back-to-back treys by Cassie Sant gave UD a 26-16 lead with 6:53 left in the half.

The Flyers held their largest lead of the half, 34-23 after an Ally Malott layup at the 2:36 mark. Dayton was up 66-63 at the half. This season when UD holds the lead at the half, they are 20-1. 

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Selection Show will be held Monday, March 12 at 7 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN3.com.