WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW: Saint Louis at Dayton
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018 • 1 p.m. CST
WHERE: UD Arena • Dayton, Ohio
RECORDS: SLU 8-8, 2-1 Atlantic 10; Dayton 11-4, 4-0 Atlantic 10
SLU-DAYTON SERIES: Dayton leads 28-8
SLU-DAYTON LAST MEETING: Dayton 75, SLU 65 (3/4/17) RECAP
BILLIKENS’ LAST GAME: at Fordham 66, SLU 63 (Jan. 6) RECAP
FLYERS’ LAST GAME: at Dayton 80, St. Bonaventure 59 (Jan. 10) RECAP
UP NEXT FOR THE BILLIKENS: Massachusetts • Thursday, Jan. 18 • 7 p.m. CST • Chaifetz Arena
GAME NOTES: Saint Louis
GAME NOTES: Dayton
TV: ESPNU
LIVE AUDIO: A-10 Digital Network (Email [email protected] if you encounter difficulty.)
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
A LOOK AT THE BILLIKENS
• The Saint Louis Billikens try to get back on the winning track Sunday, Jan. 14, when they take on Dayton in the first of two meetings with the Flyers this season.
• Sunday’s game is the last of a three-game road swing for the Billikens. SLU split the first two contests, winning at Richmond and falling at Fordham.
• Since the beginning of the 2015-16 season, the Billikens are 27-8 in A-10 play. That ranks second in the conference, just one game behind George Washington.
• The Billikens feature players who lead the Atlantic 10 in three categories. Jackie Kemph is the league’s best in assists (7.4 apg) and assist-turnover ratio (2.83), while Maddison Gits leads the A-10 in field goal percentage (.558).
• Jordyn Frantz and Paige Rakers have become one of the A-10’s most potent 3-point shooting combinations. Frantz (14-of-24, .583) and Rakers (12-of-21, .571) have combined to shoot 57.8 percent from beyond the arc over the last five games.
• Saint Louis now leads the A-10 in field goal percentage after several solid recent efforts. The Billikens are shooting 48.3 percent (141-of-292) in their last five games.
• In A-10 games only, SLU is tied for the league lead in assists (18.0 apg); ranks second in scoring (73.3 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.343); stands third in assist-turnover ratio (1.26), defensive rebounding (29.3 drpg) and free throw percentage (.792); and is fourth in 3-point field goals (8.0/game) and 3-point field goal percentage (.375).
• SLU has held six of its last eight opponents to under 40-percent field goal shooting.
• The Bills have pushed their season free throw accuracy to 71.8 percent by connecting on 77.7 percent (73-of-94) from the stripe over the last five games.
• SLU has been much stronger from 3-point range recently. After shooting just 29 percent from beyond the arc in their first 11 games, the Billikens have connected on 41 percent (43-of-105) from distance in their last five outings.
• In their last five games, the Billikens have registered an assist on 73.8 percent of their field goals. That is significantly higher than their full-season rate of 64.1 percent.
• Sixth-year head coach Lisa Stone takes a 98-78 record at Saint Louis into the Dayton game. Now in her 32nd season overall as a collegiate head coach, Stone owns a 601-315 career mark.
A LOOK AT THE FLYERS
• Dayton returned three starters and seven additional letter winners from last year’s team that was 21-10 overall, tied for first (13-3) in the A-10 and won the A-10 tournament. The Flyers fell to Tennessee in the NCAA Championship first round.
• Dayton has won five straight and six of its last seven games. The Flyers have allowed just 55.8 points per game in conference play, 60.2 ppg overall. In all games, the UD offense averages a league-best 74.9 points.
• Sophomore guard Jayla Scaife (2016-17 A-10 All-Rookie team) tallies a team-high 15.2 points per game and adds 5.3 rebounds per contest.
• Senior guard Jenna Burdette (2016-17 All-Conference second team) carries a 14.3 scoring average and leads Dayton with 3.7 assists per game. Burdette shoots 43.8 percent from 3-point distance.
• Junior guard Lauren Cannatelli tosses in 12.9 points per game and shoots 41 percent from beyond the arc. Cannatelli is among the A-10 leaders with 2.7 treys per game (41 total).
• Senior guard JaVonna Layfield scores 11.1 points per game, ranks third in the A-10 with 12.0 rebounds per outing and leads the Flyers with 2.4 steals per game (second in the A-10).
• Redshirt-senior forward/center Alex Harris grabs 7.8 rebounds per game.
