By Kyle Soppe
Justine Raterman stood a bit above the rest this week, leading her Dayton Flyers to a Saint Peter’s College Holiday Classic championship. Raterman was recognized as the tournaments most valuable player for her performances in back to back wins over USF and Binghamton.
The senior forward lit up the USF defense with a dazzling display of long range accuracy. She buried a career high seven triples on her way to a 26 point outburst in a 73-63 win on Thursday night. Raterman, a two time First Team All Atlantic 10 selection, added nine rebounds in a back and forth game in which the Flyers needed everyone of her big plays. Her size, 6’1″, and shooting ability made her a tough match up for USF, as she continually shot over the defense, as if they weren’t there. As one of UD’s all time great players, Raterman would not sit back and admire the outstanding performance, rather she prepared for Binghamton in the tournaments championship.
While Binghamton clearly benefited from scouting Raterman the previous night, she still found a way to produce and help her team earn a 60-50 victory. She recorded 10 points, despite being hounded by the entire BU defense, but her greatest contribution was on the glass. She hauled in 12 rebounds, a big reason why the Flyers were able to outrebound Binghampton (40 to 29) and attempt 15 more field goals than their opponent. Her tenacity on the boards allowed Dayton to overcome an off shooting night (31.7%) and win the tournament. She also handed out a team high four assists, showing an ability to make plays for others when defenses decide to focus on limiting her scoring opportunities.
ESPN ran a special article on Raterman, detailing the elite class she is truly in. She has produced since the day she stepped on Dayton’s campus and this year has been no different. Click here to read the article.
The Flyers are 8-4 on the season, with Raterman leading the team in points per game (15.3), rebounds per game (6.6), field goal shooting percentage (47%), and three point field goals (26). This is a senior led team that has the experience it takes to make a run for the A-10 title. They begin conference play when Rhode Island comes to town on January 7th.
Rey says
Definitely deserving. Great story about her and hope Dayton can get far in any post-season play.