Best field trip ever?

As she walked onto the court this morning, center Casey Nance heard a group of little girls cheering her name. When Nance made eye contact with them, “they melted — like I was a Beatle,” she said.

The stands were packed with thousands of local schoolchildren ready to watch the women’s basketball team take on the Charlotte 49ers as part of a special National Math Day event.

Throughout the game, which started at 11 a.m., the students answered Flyers-themed math questions. The prize was priceless for a grade-schooler —a pizza for the student to share with his or her friends.

While UD students can certainly make some noise during a game, nothing compared to the steady roar that consistently rocked the arena.

“This game was different because it’s so loud all the time,” laughed Nance. “It’s hard to hear our coaches during timeouts because kids are screaming for pizza or giveaways. But to hear people in the stands is always awesome.”

The energy fueled the Flyers to a 91-68 win over the 49ers, a victory that led the 6,000 students to jump to their feet, waving their homemade “Go Dayton Flyers!” signs.

Nance believes games like this are important in integrating sports with academics.

“A lot of kids need to know basketball can’t happen without good schoolwork,” she said. “We are held to high standards.”

And as for those schoolgirls who called “Go, Casey!” as she entered the court? Nance melted a little bit too.

“To leave a positive impression was the best part of this game,” Nance said.