Malott, Dayton knock off Kentucky
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - Ally Malott recorded a double-double with 28 points and 13 rebounds as the seventh-seeded Dayton Flyers defeated the second-seeded Kentucky Wildcats, 99-94, in the second round of the NCAA Women's Tournament at Memorial Coliseum.
Amber Deane provided a huge spark for the Flyers (26-6) off the bench with 23 points, while Kelley Austria netted 17 points. Dayton will advance to play the winner of Monday's matchup between South Florida and Louisville in the Sweet 16.
Makayla Epps led Kentucky (24-9) with a game-high 29 points. Jennifer O'Neill scored 16 points, Bria Goss had 12 points and Linnae Harper pulled down 12 boards in the losing effort.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Wildcats took a 45-42 lead into the intermission after they assisted nine of their 16 makes from the floor in the opening stanza. Dayton committed 12 turnovers and 13 personal fouls before the break.
The Flyers took control down the stretch, as they made good on eight of their final 10 field goal attempts. Austria broke an 87-87 tie with a 3-pointer at the 1:08 mark of the second stanza. After O'Neill converted a pair of free- throw tries on the other end to narrow the gap to a single point, Deane knocked down a clutch shot from beyond the arc to put it out of reach.
Dayton survived despite being outscored, 22-3, in points off turnovers. The Flyers converted 28-of-31 shots at the free-throw line and 11-of-18 tries from behind the 3-point line. The Wildcats finished with a 40-24 edge in points in the paint.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The win was just the fourth in the NCAA Tournament in program history for Dayton.