DAYTON AND FORDHAM MEET IN ATLANTIC 10 CLASH OF .500 TEAMS

NEW YORK (Interstat) — Two teams looking to stabilize their conference records will meet Saturday when the Dayton Flyers visit the Fordham Rams in a women’s basketball matchup at Rose Hill Gym.

Both teams enter with identical 8-7 overall records. Dayton is 2-2 in Atlantic 10 play following a narrow 71-68 home loss to Loyola Chicago on Wednesday. Fordham has dropped its first three conference contests, most recently an 84-65 defeat at Richmond on Wednesday.

The game features a key backcourt matchup between Dayton’s Nayo Lear and Fordham’s Carryn Easley. Lear, the Flyers’ dynamic guard, is averaging 16.0 points per game over her last five contests. She scored 27 points in a win over Evansville on Dec. 21 and led Dayton with 13 points in the loss to Loyola Chicago.

Easley, a facilitator for the Rams, is coming off a 10-point, 4-assist performance against Richmond. Her season highlight was a near-triple-double of 8 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists in a win over Saint Francis (PA) on Dec. 21.

Dayton has shown resilience on the road this season, securing wins at Western Michigan and Kansas. The Flyers’ offense will look to rebound from a 42-point outing in a loss to George Washington earlier this month.

Fordham seeks its first A-10 win and will rely on its home-court advantage, where the Rams are 5-2 this season. Their defense held non-conference opponents Hofstra and Long Island under 50 points.

The Flyers’ scoring balance will be tested. Alongside Lear, Ajok Madol (14 points vs. Loyola Chicago) and Nicole Stephens (11 points vs. Loyola Chicago) have provided offensive support.

For Fordham, secondary scoring from players like Ornella Niankan, who had 12 points against Richmond, will be crucial to complement Easley’s playmaking.

Saturday’s contest is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this regular season. Dayton’s next game is at home against Richmond on Jan. 14. Fordham travels to face Davidson on Jan. 14.

Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. EST on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in the Bronx.