Hartsock: Gem City Jam? Let the women lead the way

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Forget the Gem City Jam … that’s probably not going to happen while I’m still talking about sports on TV. What we really need is a return to the women’s matchup between Dayton and Wright State.

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The Flyers and the Raiders are both currently riding eight-game winning streaks, something that wasn’t really expected on either side of town after a pair of veteran coaches walked away from their respective programs.

Wright State’s Emily Vogelpohl drives during Sunday’s win over Oakland Univeristy. Mike Hartsock/WHIO TV

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You have to give it up to Shauna Green and Katrina Merriweather for what they have been able to do as first-year head coaches. Both teams struggled early this season, and neither team has lost a game since the calendar turned to 2017.

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So why was the series stopped two years ago after the two teams had played each other almost every season for more than two decades? It might have something to do with the two coaches who are no longer there.

If that’s the case, let’s not wait any longer to get these two programs back together. It’s up to the women to show the guys how it’s done.

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