It seems like we just can’t get enough of UD basketball. We start talking about it months before the season begins and continue to talk about it months after the season ends. There seems to be about 12 hours sometime in the middle of summer when somebody, somewhere, isn’t talking about our beloved Flyers. If it isn’t whom we are recruiting for next year, it is whom we have recruited for this year. Of course, the biggest question everyone has every year is, “Will the Flyers make it to the NCAA Tournament?”

Sadly, by the end of the season for much of the last two decades we are talking about what might have been or what should have been. The one thing that remains constant is our undying love. That love, however, seems to be very pointed. It only revolves around the men’s basketball program. Ask any one of the 11,000 or so that will show up for the next men’s home game what the women’s record is and you will get a blank stare.

You see, like most colleges, the men’s program has a much greater following than the women. Occasionally you will run into a UConn, Tennessee, or Iowa State that can draw with the men, but usually, they are little more than an afterthought. Probably the biggest problem that we have had at UD when speaking of the women’s program is the lack of winning. We tend to be fickle folks in Dayton and even winning isn’t always enough. Just ask Mike Kelly how many sellouts he has seen over the years.

Unlike the men’s program, the women have only had a brief period of real success at UD. It wasn’t until 1968 that Dayton fielded a team. In 1970, Elaine Dreidame took over the program and by the end of her stay in 1978 turned the program into a Division II power. Maryalyce Jeremiah then guided the women to consecutive outstanding seasons culminating in the AIAW national championship in 1980.

Since 1986 when Sue Ramsey took over, there have only been four winning seasons. UD moved to Division I basketball and found that winning had become an almost unattainable goal. That is until Jaci Clark arrived.

After finishing 11-17 in her inaugural season, the Flyers finished 15-15 and played well in their one NIT game against perennial SEC winner Florida in 1999-2000. The following season, the team improved to 16-13 but failed to gain a birth in either the NIT or the NCAA Tournament. The 2001-2002 season was going to make everyone forget about that disappointment. This was a team stacked with returning starters.

It didn’t take long for disaster to hit, however. Before the season even started, one of Clark’s top recruits, Angela Cape, was lost for the season with a torn ACL and junior Cyndi Stull also went down with a knee injury. Shortly after the season got underway the litany of disasters continued. First it was Sarah Schloss with a torn ACL, then Stefanie Miller with a shoulder injury. What was going to be a great season became the season to forget. Despite the injuries, Jaci coaxed a second place A-10 finish out of the women.

With everyone back from injury and a new crop of talented freshmen on board, many felt like this was to be the breakthrough season that has been so eagerly anticipated. Then the season started with two road blowouts sandwiched around a home victory over Marquette. It didn’t look like a new year at all. It looked like the team hadn’t escaped the recent past and was going to be overmatched again by good teams. It would have been easy for the coaches and players to just say, “Here we go again,” and pack it in.

It could have been, but it wasn’t going to be — not with Jaci Clark at the helm. Jaci is one of those coaches that likes to win but hates losing far more. She was not going to allow her team to get down on itself after just three games. She knew there was talent on the floor, she just needed to put together all of the pieces to the puzzle.

Since those first three games, the UD women have not tasted defeat. Six straight victories have improved their record to 7-2. Part of that includes three road wins and two wins on a neutral court. A five-game home stand now awaits the Flyers with a real opportunity to improve the best start since the 1983-84 team started off 12-0 on their way to a 27-4 record and the Division II National Semi-Finals. The Flyers have begun receiving votes in the major polls and a victory over nationally ranked Minnesota (currently unblemished and #11) on Monday could propel them to some real recognition.

Clark has done an unbelievable job of juggling her chess pieces as an amazing 10 players are averaging 12 or more minutes per game. In viewing the current statistics, one would never imagine that this team is winning nearly 80% of their games. They are shooting almost identically to what they did last year at just under 42%. They are outrebounding their opponents, but only by a slight margin — again similar to last year. And like last year, they have less assists than their opponents.

This is a team that is led by five seniors that understand that there is a very thin line between winning and losing. Last year, they always seemed to be playing from behind, being outscored by 73 points in the first half. This year’s team has outscored it opponents by 47 points in the first half. They have been able to win the close games that seemed to elude them last year.

Casting aside the more traditional two guards, two forwards, and one center offense, four of this year’s starters are listed as guards. Marnina Sullivan, Chrissy Donovan, Stefanie Miller, and Sarah Allen have all started nine games. The only change has been at center where Heather Haselman and Cyndi Stull have shared the duties. Clark likes this lineup because of the possibilities that it brings.

“We can play with four outside people because of Sarah’s strong outside game in addition to being able to play underneath,” Clark says.

This is a team that is dominated by juniors and seniors that, because of injuries, returned more starters than either the offense or defense on Mike Kelly’s football team. It is a team that has shot the three well at 37% while holding the opposition to 29%. It is a team that shoots nearly 80% from the free throw line. It is a team that doesn’t have one player averaging 12 points per game.

The problem with just looking at the numbers is that it doesn’t show how much heart every player on this team has. It doesn’t show how many hours each of those injured the previous year have worked to get back to where they were and where they want to be. It doesn’t show how many floor burns are attended to after each game.

Clark relates, “I don’t care about numbers. This team plays with a lot of heart. We have the people this year and it has allowed us to play with more consistency.”

This is a special year for Flyer basketball. For the second time, UD will be hosting the NCAA Regional championship. When the Regionals were here four years ago, more people attended than at any other location. In fact, it set a Midwest Region attendance record for a location without the benefit of a host team to help fill the seats. This is a city that loves its basketball and is ready and willing to support the Flyers if and when they produce.

As Kevin Costner heard in Field of Dreams, “Build it and they will come.” Jaci Clack has built a team that is ready to compete. It is time for us to come.