The Dayton Flyers (8-6, 2-1 Atlantic 10) return home to UD Arena to take on the Massachusetts Minutewomen (7-7, 2-1 Atlantic 10) on Wednesday, January 8th at 7pm. This will be the 32nd meeting between these two teams and the Flyers have a 17-14 lead in the series history over the Minutewomen.
Last Time Out:
Dayton is looking to keep their two-game win streak in conference play after losing to Richmond to start the conference play. Both of the wins in conference play come in a blow fashion by twenty or more points against VCU on January 5th and Loyola Chicago on January 2nd. The Flyers are looking for their first three-game win streak on the season.
Massachusetts is looking to bounce back after losing to Richmond on Sunday, January 5th by 30 points, after starting conference play by going 2-0 defeating Fordham on December 29th and Saint Louis on January 2nd. The loss to the Spiders is the worst loss for the Minutewomen on the season, and Head Coach Mike Leflar is looking to use that loss as motivation to go out and earn another conference road win early this season.
Statistical Breakdown:
Looking into the statistical breakdown of these teams with fourteen games under their belts will give a glimpse of the possibilities of Wednesday’s matchup. Here is the statistical breakdown for both teams:
| Dayton | Massachusetts | |
| Record | 8-6 (2-1) | 7-7 (2-1) |
| Winning Percentage | 0.571 (151st) | 0.500 (195th) |
| NET Ranking | 156 | 164 |
| Assist to Turnover Ratio | 0.67 (266th) | 0.84 (164th) |
| Assist Per Game | 12.9 (201st) | 14.3 (127th) |
| Bench Points Per Game | 23.3 (89th) | 14.5 (293rd) |
| Blocks Per Game | 2.9 (194th) | 2.0 (T-302nd) |
| Field Goal Percentage | 41.7% (155th) | 40.0% (206th) |
| Field Goal Percentage Defense | 38.1% (94th) | 38.7% (116th) |
| Fouls Per Game | 18.5 (T-270th) | 17.1 (191st) |
| Free Throw Attempts Per Game | 17.29 (142nd) | 14.57 (T-269th) |
| Free Throw Percentage | 71.5% (142nd) | 74.5% (64th) |
| Free Throws Made Per Game | 12.36 (119th) | 10.86 (219th) |
| Rebound Margin | 3.5 (116th) | 5.6 (69th) |
| Defensive Rebounds Per Game | 26.8 (98th) | 25.0 (174th) |
| Offensive Rebounds Per Game | 10.9 (229th) | 12.4 (139th) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 37.71 (153rd) | 37.43 (163rd) |
| Scoring Defense | 60.9 (125th) | 58.5 (T-69th) |
| Scoring Margin | 3.6 (162nd) | 4.2 (156th) |
| Scoring Offense | 64.6 (203rd) | 62.7 (239th) |
| Steals Per Game | 7.1 (267th) | 7.9 (211th) |
| Three-Pointers Attempts Per Game | 18.6 (227th) | 16.4 (296th) |
| Three-Point Percentage | 31.0% (170th) | 34.1% (81st) |
| Three-Point Defensive Percentage | 28.2% (95th) | 34.9 % (323rd) |
| Three-Pointers Made Per Game | 5.8 (T-216th) | 5.6 (233rd) |
| Turnover Margin | -1.86 (271st) | 0.86 (149th) |
| Turnovers Forced Per Game | 17.21 (171st) | 17.86 (132nd) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 19.1 (259th) | 17.0 (188th) |
Key Players to Watch:
Dayton:
- Olivia Leung (Freshman, 5’10” Guard, Calgary, Canada), Two-Time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, 12 games, 16.3 minutes per game, 7.6 points per game, 1.5 rebounds per game, and 0.6 assists per game.
- Arianna Smith (Senior, 6’2” Forward, Columbus, Ohio), 13 games, starting all 13 games, 25.0 minutes per game, 9.7 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, and 1.2 assists per game.
- Ivy Wolf (Senior, 5’8” Guard, Minster, Ohio), 14 games, starting all 14 games, 33.5 minutes per game, 17.1 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 2.4 assists per game.
Massachusetts:
- Stefanie Kulesza (Senior, 5’11” Guard/Forward, Wilmington, Delaware), 14 games, starting in 14 games, 28.7 minutes per game, 8.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, per game, 1.9 assists per game, and 1.8 steals per game.
- Yahmani McKayle (Freshman, 5’6’ Guard, Queens, New York), Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, 14 games with 7 starts, 28.9 minutes per game, 12.5 points per game, 2.6 assists per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 1.7 steals per game.
- Megan Olbrys (Junior, 6’1” Forward, Norwood, Massachusetts), 14 games with 14 starts, 33.6 minutes per game, 12.9 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, 3.1 assists per game, and 1.1 steals per game.
- Allie Palmieri (Senior, 5’10” Guard, Trumbull, Connecticut), 14 games with 14 starts, 31.8 minutes per game, 14.0 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, 2.1 assists per game, and 1.2 steals per game.
KG’s Keys to Success:
Dayton:
- Limit turnovers
- Force UMass to turn the ball over
- Cut off the driving lanes
- Keep Allie Palmieri, Yahmani McKayle, and Megan Olbrys from scoring in double-figures
Massachusetts:
- Keep Ivy Wolf and Olivia Leung’s scoring efforts to a minimal
- Minimize turnovers
- Pressure the ball
- Get multiple players into double-figure scoring
- Utilize the bench players more
Featured Image: Domenic Allegra, The Next
Kaily “KG” Godek is a current student at Western New England University (WNE). She has been a supporter of UMass Athletics for over 15 years. Kaily focuses on both UMass Basketball teams and occasionally on the other Women’s Basketball teams in the conference. While writing for A10 Talk, she works in the athletic department at WNE. When she graduates from WNE she wants to go into either Sports Broadcasting and Journalism or Coaching. You can follow Kaily on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kgumass23.
