Dayton welcomes challenge to play at UT

The University of Dayton team welcomes the opportunity to play in front of a women's basketball crowd of 11,000 tonight.

Even if, say, 10,800 of that crowd are decked out in orange and fervently pulling against them.

A heart-stopping 67-66 victory over TCU in their first-ever NCAA tournament game Saturday earned the Flyers the right to face No. 1-seed Tennessee (31-2) on its home court in Thompson-Boling Arena on Monday (TV: ESPN2, 7 p.m.).

"I can't think of a better place to play than the Mecca of college women's basketball,'' Dayton coach Jim Jabir said Sunday.

Really? Wouldn't Tulsa or Fresno provide a more level playing field for an underdog?

Doesn't matter. The Flyers unanimously back their coach's assertion.

"I love playing them here,'' said senior Kendel Ross.

"I love playing in big games and I love big crowds. There's no better place to play Tennessee than at home.''

"It's a great opportunity,'' chipped in sophomore Patrice Lalor, "to play in front of a large crowd and have people see what Dayton is about.''

Unlike the men's tournament, the women's teams are often allowed to play at home in hopes of boosting attendance. That's the case at nine of the 16 first-round sites.

This is the first time UT has opened at home since 2005. The Lady Vols are 47-0 in NCAA games on their home court.

Still, eighth-seeded Dayton (25-7) is undaunted. The Flyers won at Purdue this season before a crowd of 8,773.

"That was a very hostile crowd but it was a lot of fun,'' said sophomore Justine Raterman, Dayton's leading scorer at 13.0 per game.

"Some of the harder places to play are actually places that don't have any fans. We travel to LaSalle and Rhode Island and it feels like you're just at practice.

"You have to bring your own energy and that can be tough.''

That won't be an issue tonight. The upper deck has been curtained off to make the setting more intimate. On Saturday the only empty seats were in the end zones.

"I sincerely believe,'' said Jabir, "that outside of our little world in Dayton, there's probably not a lot of people who think we stand a chance of winning

"This is a good experience for our kids. We will really challenge ourselves in a way that we've not really been challenged all year.

"If it doesn't break us, it will stretch us and make us stronger.''

Rally Cry: Dayton's NCAA tournament debut seemed destined for a short stay when the Flyers trailed TCU by 18 points well into the second half.

"We didn't want to go home,'' said Ross of the ensuing rally. "It's the NCAA tournament, so why give up when you're down? There's no point.

Added Lalor, "We had nothing to lose. We just kept playing and kept playing.''

UT Camper: Raterman attended Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt's camp two summers ago with her high school team from Versailles, Ohio.

"They really put on a great camp,'' she said. "Pat Summitt was really down to earth. She seemed like just a normal everyday person, not a celebrity.''

Like Dad: Casey Nance, a 6-foot-4 center, is the daughter of former Clemson star and NBA veteran Larry Nance. She wears No. 22, her dad's number. Nance led the Atlantic 10 in blocked shots.

Dayton History: The Flyers won an AIAW national title in 1979-80. They moved to NCAA Division II, then to Division I in 1985-86. Their only game with Tennessee came the following season, a 66-40 UT victory at Stokely Athletics Center.