BLUE SKY CLASSIC AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON FLYERS (10-2)
VS. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT CATAMOUNTS (8-2)
VS. DARTMOUTH COLLEGE BIG GREEN (3-6)
EVENT INFORMATION
Blue Sky Classic hosted by Dartmouth College at Leede Arena (Capacity 2,100) The tournament includes a the host Dartmouth, Dayton, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Tuesday, Dec. 29 - Dayton vs. Vermont at 5 p.m. ET; Rhode Island @ Dartmouth at 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday Dec. 30 - Vermont vs. Rhode Island at 5 p.m. ET; Dayton @ Dartmouth at 7 p.m. ET
Radio: WUVR - 1490 for Dayton/Dartmouth game
Internet: Live stats at dartmouthsports.com
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• The Flyers are receiving votes in both the AP Media and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls for the sixth consecutive week.
• The University of Dayton women's basketball team is 2-0 all-time in the history of the program in double overtime games. The Flyers gave head coach Jim Jabir his 100th victory at UD with a thrilling double overtime 84-81 win over Butler on Monday, Dec. 21. Dayton's only other double overtime game was a 63-60 win over No. 15/16 Xavier in the quarterfinals of the 2008-09 A-10 Championship.
• It took two career performances, but the Flyers bounced back in their next game with an 84-75 win against Miami on Dec. 12. Senior Kendel Ross had a career-high 29 points, while freshman Kari Daugherty more than doubled her previous career high by pouring in 19 points.
• The Flyers have already played in one tournament this season. Dayton won the 2009 Purdue University BTI Classic, taking three games in three days (Nov. 20, 21, 22). UD picked up a 62-59 win over Georgetown in its first game of the Basketball Travelers Classic. Dayton then posted a 56-53 upset of No. 23 Purdue in the second round. UD closed out the tournament with a 75-37 win over Seattle. Kristin Daugherty was named Tournament MVP, redshirt freshman Brittany Wilson and sophomore Justine Raterman were named to the all-tournament team. Prior to the Purdue BTI Classic, the last time UD won an in-season tournament was in 2005 at the Tulane Basketball Classic.
• The Flyers beat its first Top 10 team in program history with a 77-74 victory over No. 10 Michigan State Friday, Nov. 13 in their season opener.
BLUE SKY CLASSIC: ROUND 2
The University of Dayton women's basketball team is travelling to the campus of Dartmouth College located in Hanover, N.H. to play in the 33rd Annual Blue Sky Classic Dec. 29 & 30 to close out 2009. The Flyers (10-2) open the Classic against an ultra-talented Vermont squad (8-2) Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. ET at Leede Arena. UD will then play the hosts, Dartmouth (3-6) on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. ET. The Flyers played in the Blue Sky Classic in 2006 and went 0-2. This year's tournament marks the second of the 2009-10 season for UD, who won the Purdue BTI Classic in November.
The Flyers have won two straight games with victories over Miami (84-75 on Dec. 12), and most recently Butler on Dec. 21. After a nine-day break between games due to finals, Dayton defeated the Bulldogs 84-81 in double overtime for its 10th win of the season. For head coach Jim Jabir, the Butler win was his 100th victory with the Flyers and 320th of his career.
For the second game in a row Dayton had two players record double-doubles. Against Miami it was Kendel Ross (career-high 29 pts, 10 reb) and Casey Nance (10 pt, 10 reb), while against Butler it was Nance (17 pt, 12 reb) and Justine Raterman (14 pt, 12 reb). Ross (10 pt, 9 reb) and Patrice Lalor (career-high 10 assists, 9 pts) were on the verge of a double-double of their own against the Bulldogs. Nance also registered a career-high six blocks against Butler.
Freshman Kari Daugherty tallied a double-figure scoring for the second consecutive game. She had a career-high 19 against Miami and vs. the Bulldogs she had 17 points, including the game-tying jumper in the first overtime, and the layup and free throw that gave back the Flyers the lead, 82-81 with 22 seconds left in the second overtime. Sophomore Kayla Moses put away game-clinching free throws in the last five seconds of the second overtime against Butler. She is 24-of-32 from the line this season (.750).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
VERMONT
Like Dayton, the Catamounts have been recognized in the ESPN/USA Today national poll for six consecutive weeks. Vermont is 8-2 overall with losses to No. 1 Connecticut (84-42 on Dec. 3) and Oklahoma State (68-63 on Dec. 13). The Catamounts are coming off a 66-57 win over the Big East conference's Providence on Dec. 21. Senior May Kotsopoulos leads a trio of Vermont players scoring in double digits with 18.9 ppg. Senior Courtnay Pilypaitis averages 15.3 ppg and freshman Kendra Seto puts up 10.7 ppg. Vermont is 4-8 all-time at the Blue Sky Classic having played in six tournaments (1980, `82, `84, `85, `86, `87 and `90).
DARTMOUTH
The hosts, Dartmouth, are 3-6 overall this season. The Big Green opened the season with a 57-47 win over Bryant on Nov. 14 and are coming off a 49-38 win over Delaware State on Dec. 20. Dartmouth also picked up a win against Stony Brook, 77-72. Junior Brittany Smith leads the squad with 11.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 18 blocks and 17 steals. Freshman Faziah Steen adds 8.3 ppg and junior Cassie Cooper chips in 8.0 ppg.
SERIES STUFF
The University of Dayton women's basketball team is 0-1 all-time against Dartmouth, and will meet Vermont for the first time in program history when the Flyers open against the Catamounts on Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. ET at the 33rd Annual Blue Sky Classic - the longest running uninterrupted women's tournament in the nation. Dayton has played in the Classic once before; UD opened the tournament with a 77-74 loss to Boston University on Dec. 29, 2006. UD then faced the Big Green on Dec. 30, 2006 and suffered a 76-71 setback, even though the Flyers tied a school record with 12 made three-pointers, which were also the most ever in the 30-year history of the Blue Sky Classic. Current senior Kendel Ross was a freshman on that team. She contributed six points, three rebounds, two blocks and an assist for the Flyers. Dartmouth's Margaret Smith was also a freshman and put up one point and three rebounds for the Big Green.
NEXT UP
After the Blue Sky Classic, Dayton will return home to host Navy on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 5 p.m. ET at UD Arena. It is the first game of a UD doubleheader. The Flyer men's basketball team will host Ball State at 8 p.m. ET following the women's game.
A VERY UD MERRY CHRISTMAS
Members of the University of Dayton men's and women's basketball teams, along with Santa Claus, visited children at the YMCA Day Care Center at the Grace United Methodist Church on Salem Avenue on Dec 19. The children visited with players from the Flyer men's and women's basketball teams, talked with Santa Claus, sang carols, played games and opened gifts.
MOVING UP THE CHARTS
With the Flyers' 73-46 win over UIC Monday, Nov. 30, Head Coach Jim Jabir became the third all-time winningest coach in UD women's basketball history with 96 victories. He passed Sue Ramsey (95 wins). He now has 100 UD wins. With eight more, Jabir will be tied with legendary coach R. Elaine Dreidame for second place with 108 wins.
ONTARIO IS HOOSIERVILLE IN CANADA
Four of Vermont's top five scorers hail from Ontario: May Kotsopoulos (18.9), Courtnay Pilypaitis (15.3), Kendra Seto (10.7) and freshman Lauren Buschmann (5.5). Freshmen Kristin Lalonde and Lauren Wheeler are also from Ontario. Dayton's lone senior Kendel Ross is also a native of Ontario. She leads the Flyers in rebounding (7.3) and steals (18) and is second in scoring with 12.1 ppg. Rhode Island, also competing in the Blue Sky Classic, also has a player from Ontario; freshman Julia Barac.
SISTER SERIES
Two teams feature sisters in the Blue Sky Classic: the Flyers have junior Kristin Daugherty and freshman Kari Daugherty of Fresno, Ohio and Dartmouth has senior Margaret Smith and junior Brittany Smith of Forth Worth, Texas. Kristin averages 9.7 ppg for UD, while Kari is next in line with 6.8 ppg. Brittany leads the Big Green in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals. Margaret contributes 4.9 ppg and 5.7 rpg.
THE DAYTON CONNECTION
Dartmouth senior Michelle Meyer and junior Louise Vanden Bosch played high school basketball near Dayton, Ohio. Meyer was a standout at Covington High School, and Vanden Bosch starred at Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio. Her father John played football at the University of Dayton.
A WELL-BALANCED DIET
The Flyers, putting up 73.8 ppg, have a very balanced and potent attack with 10 players averaging at least 4.0 ppg. Sophomore Justine Raterman, the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, leads UD in scoring with 12.3 ppg. Senior Kendel Ross is right behind her with 12.1 ppg and leads the squad with 7.2 rpg. Junior Kristin Daugherty is close to double digits with 9.7 ppg. Preseason All-Defensive Team selection Casey Nance leads the Flyers and A-10 in blocked shots (29). Sophomore Patrice Lalor leads UD with 59 assists. Lalor's 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the Atlantic 10.
YEAR FOR 1,000
Two Flyers are closing in on 1,000 career points. Junior Kristin Daugherty has scored 877 points during her career. In her first two seasons she averaged 380 points per year. Senior Kendel Ross has scored 881 points in her career.
