UD freshman basks in big-shot fame

Brittany Wilson’s last-second shot  led team to come-from-behind win.

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer Updated 8:39 PM Sunday, March 21, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Brittany Wilson’s nickname on the University of Dayton women’s basketball team is ‘Spiderman.’

“Her hands are huge,” said UD coach Jim Jabir. “She can just grab basketballs that a lot of people can’t get.”

But on Saturday, March 20, it was more about a ball that Wilson let go. The freshman from Louisville scored inside with 1.1 seconds left to cap an 18-point comeback by the Flyers in a 67-66 victory against TCU in an NCAA tournament first-round game at Thompson-Boling Arena.

“When we got back to the hotel, we watched clips on ESPN, it came right on,” Wilson said. “It was amazing to see.”

Wilson’s performance in the paint — six points and eight rebounds in 12 minutes — shouldn’t be surprising. At 5 feet 11, Wilson has a strong presence inside for the Flyers, even though her opponents are taller.

Wilson received a medical redshirt last season while recovering from a knee injury, and she has averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds. But she was also part of the all-tournament team at the Purdue University BTI Classic in November after scoring two game-winning baskets.

“Tomorrow will be a bigger challenge, because they dwarf her,” Jabir said of Tennessee’s lineup that includes 6-6 center Kelley Cain and six players 6-2 or taller.

Road test: Before UD guard Kendel Ross could answer a reporter’s question about potential intimidation playing top-seeded Tennessee on the Lady Vols’ home floor, Jabir said, “You don’t know Kendel Ross.”

In preparing for the 7 p.m. game, UD players and Jabir said they enjoyed the opportunity to play in the building considered one of the most sacred in women’s college basketball.

“I love playing them here,” said Ross, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the Flyers’ defeat of TCU. “I’ve played on so many stages, so I love playing in big games.”

Said freshman forward Kari Daugherty, “I’m such a big fan of huge crowds.”

Looking for comfort: Justine Raterman has scored fewer than her seven points on Saturday only two times this season, and she leads the Flyers in scoring at 12.8 points per game. Jabir said Raterman, like some of the Flyers, might have been initially unnerved by the atmosphere.

“I went to church (Sunday) with Justine and her parents,” Jabir said. “We were on our way walking back and I said, ‘When I took you out that first time, you kind of looked like you had seen a ghost. I didn’t know where you were.’ ”

Raterman steadied to make two key baskets late in the game, and the sophomore from Versailles will be a key player again against Tennessee.

“I think (TCU’s) pressure pushed her away from where she wanted to be, definitely out of her comfort zone,” Jabir said. “We talked to her (Saturday and Sunday) about ripping through and attacking that pressure rather than backing away from it.”

Summitt on the Flyers

Thoughts from Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt on facing Dayton in an NCAA tournament second-round game today, March 22:

“This Dayton team is going to make runs at us. They’re a quality team, they play so well together, and they have the size pretty much to match us with size. It’s a matter of us being invested in our defense, our board play and our ball security.”

“Obviously I think Dayton is a team that is resilient. They demonstrated that in closing out that game (Saturday against TCU) in a very impressive way. I think for us, we just have to be really focused on our defense and our board play.”

“I’ve known (UD coach Jim Jabir) and watched him coach, and coach Jabir’s really ... he’s an excellent coach. I think it starts with his ability to teach, and I think his teams execute really well.”

“Watching them courtside (Saturday), they move the ball, they’ve got great ball movement, great player movement. And they’ve got inside-outside weapons. We’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game defensively. Obviously the boards are going to be really, really key. When it comes to the job he’s done, he’s been very successful, and he’s very well respected in our profession.”

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