DAYTON -- The University of Dayton Lady Flyers basketball team is making history this year, remaining in the top 25 in the country for 12 weeks. The Flyers have been able to keep local talent here at home to play, which has made a big difference for the program.
Andrea Hoover, Ally Mallott, Kelley Austria and Cassie Sant are all Miami Valley products
''I knew a lot of people that wanted to keep seeing be play from my high school and friends and family.'', Ally Mallott says that's one of the reasons she decided to stay.
Most of the ladies dealt with pressure to choose higher profile schools, but felt that staying at home was a perfect fit.
''A lot of people gave me a hard time saying I could go bigger, or a bigger name school,'' Cassie Sant told us, ''but the success we are having's is proving this was the right decision.''
It's the same pitch head coach Jim Jabir used when he was recruiting the girls, ''You come here, we win games, the community shows up and really supports those kids and the whole program just grows.''
True Freshman Kelley Austria committed to UD before she was a senior in high school based on the Flyers growing success.
''Definitely came here because the team was doing so well and it was exciting to watch them get better every year,'' Kelley Austria told us.
That's exactly what these girls are doing, building their hometown program into a potential basketball power.
Andrea Hoover, Ally Mallott, Kelley Austria and Cassie Sant are all Miami Valley products
''I knew a lot of people that wanted to keep seeing be play from my high school and friends and family.'', Ally Mallott says that's one of the reasons she decided to stay.
Most of the ladies dealt with pressure to choose higher profile schools, but felt that staying at home was a perfect fit.
''A lot of people gave me a hard time saying I could go bigger, or a bigger name school,'' Cassie Sant told us, ''but the success we are having's is proving this was the right decision.''
It's the same pitch head coach Jim Jabir used when he was recruiting the girls, ''You come here, we win games, the community shows up and really supports those kids and the whole program just grows.''
True Freshman Kelley Austria committed to UD before she was a senior in high school based on the Flyers growing success.
''Definitely came here because the team was doing so well and it was exciting to watch them get better every year,'' Kelley Austria told us.
That's exactly what these girls are doing, building their hometown program into a potential basketball power.