In keeping with the A10’s recent scheduling regimen, the Revs will interrupt their OOC schedule to take on the Dayton Flyers on Wednesday evening at the Smith Center. This is the first of two meetings between the conference foes, with a later contest to be played in Dayton in February. The Flyers were picked to finish 5th in the conference, and come into this game on the heels of a big last-second win over Kansas at the Elevance Health Tip-Off Tournament this past weekend. At 5-3 overall, Dayton’s record also includes wins over Xavier and Canisius, and loses to Butler and Illinois State. Nayo Lear leads the Flyers, coming into the game with a 16.6 ppg scoring average. Dayton is strong up front, as well, with 6’3” Center Fatima Ibrahim posting an impressive 11.0 ppg and 8 rpg stat line.

GW’s recent resurgence at the Cayman Islands gives way to some optimism moving forward. All the players seemed to be less tentative and deliberate, leading to a pair of good offensive showings. Reynolds is emerging as a consistent scoring threat, and James has taken control of the offense when the ball is in her hands. Other players are stepping up, giving Coach G great balance in scoring and increased confidence in her rotations. GW’s vulnerabilities, however, are still very apparent. Even though they were able for the most part to beat the pressure defenses, there were periods of time when players momentarily lost their focus and made unforced errors with weak passes or careless ball handling. There were also several occasions where the guards dribbled into traps, and had to be bailed out by Coach G’s time outs. Unnecessary turnovers have to be reduced. Also, the Revs’ smallish front court had difficulty containing strong front court players on the inside, resulting in layups, second chance points, or fouls for the opposition. Loving was a big help, but depth in this area will continue to be an issue this season. Statistically, Dayton and GW are very similar. Both have been efficient offensively when they don’t turn the ball over. Both play solid half court defense. With Ibrahim, Dayton has an edge on the inside, but the Flyers have turned the ball over even more than GW, so if the Revs can capitalize, things may even out.

This game will be a great test for both teams. Winning at Dayton later in the season will be tough, so this matchup is important for GW. A good showing will bolster the Revs’ confidence with Brown coming in on Saturday.