Centenary (LA) edges Women's Basketball 76-74 despite Bustamante's 24 points, 10 rebounds

IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas women's basketball team (5-3, 0-2 SCAC) suffered a 76-74 defeat Monday evening to Centenary College of Louisiana at the Maher Athletic Center, and have lost consecutive games for the first time in the 2012-13 season. 

Centenary (3-7, 2-2 SCAC) boasted a 15-point advantage at 6:15 of the first half. At this point, Dallas responded with 15 unanswered points, and trailed 41-40 at the break. 

Dallas converted just 7-of-33 (21.2 percent) from the field in the second half, a half which saw six lead changes. The Lady Crusaders, however, thrived at the free-throw line, as they netted 20-of-24 (83.3 percent) from the charity stripe. 

Centenary claimed a nine-point lead with 2:01 remaining in regulation, and staved off a late Dallas surge for the two-point victory. 

Sophomore guards Marleyna Bustamante (Donna, Texas) and Brooke Hagemann (Oklahoma City, Okla.) each tallied a double-double in defeat. Bustamante paired a game-high 24 points with 10 rebounds (four offensive), while Hagemann contributed 17 points and 10 boards (three offensive). 

Junior post Christy Allen (Burton, Mich.) accumulated 13 points and six rebounds (three offensive).

Head coach Jina Johansen's bunch managed to outrebound the Ladies, 49-35, but lost points-off-turnovers (24-16) and points-in-the-paint (38-29). 

Next opponent: 

Dallas heads to Jackson, Miss., to battle Millsaps College on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 1 p.m.