Lady Crusaders unable to Break Past Texas Lutheran on Friday
Unlike the previous meeting at Seguin, Texas, the Lady Crusaders got on the board first as junior Seana Stoia (Tulsa, Okla.) made two free throws to give the home team its only edge of the night. TLU's Taylor Dydalewicz would even the score with a jumper off an offensive rebound. The squads traded leads throughout the first quarter and the Bulldogs held an early 16-13 advantage through the first 10 minutes.
Small spurts were made in the second frame, with the road team pushing out to a five-point lead about four minutes through, but three-pointers by juniors Lindsey Gendron (Houston, Texas) and Caitlyn Worry (Lumberton, Texas), respectively nipped the deficit to one possession. Two free throws and a trey by Savannah Hight drew the lead back in favor of the Black and Gold with 3:52 minutes until the half.
Worry's three-pointer with 5:46 was the last field goal made until sophomore Michelle DeCoud sank a jumper with 2:37 left. Worry flung a desperation trey as time expired to cut the halftime score to 35-28. A previous layup by Kristen Lye a couple seconds earlier was the first time TLU led by double figures in the game.
The first five points out of the break pointed to Texas Lutheran's side of the scoreboard, but four unanswered by the Lady Crusaders brought the margin back within single-digits. The greatest lead of the game was 13 for the Bulldogs with 3:18 remaining in the third. Stoia produced a triple between field goals by junior Holly Tonry (Seattle, Wash.) and Gendron to spark a 7-0 scoring stretch that cut the deficit to six with 1:47.
It would be that margin going into the fourth. After the Bulldogs jumped back to a 10-point lead, Dallas was gritty and eventually got within five points (55-50) on Stoia's second trifecta of the outing. TLU's Ray Madison split at the free throw stripe and Tonry sank both of hers to cut things to 56-52 and just under a minute remaining. Another split for the Bulldogs gave the Navy and White life, and sophomore Helen Onyenso (Oak Park, Ill.) would hit a jumper with 11 seconds to create a one possession contest. Lye came through from the line this time on both free throws to secure the tight win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Two players led the Lady Crusaders in scoring with 13 points, which were Tonry and Stoia. DeCoud rounded out the trio of double-digit scorers with 10 and Gendron added eight.
- Tonry was shy a double-double with a team-leading nine rebounds. Onyenso pulled down eight boards, with five on the offensive glass. Tonry and graduate student Nicole Johnson each dished six assists. Dallas had 14 total.
- The team's shot exactly the same field goal percentage of 34.5 percent (20-of-58). Both squads attempted 18 three-pointers, with UD doubling the successful hits with six total. The Bulldogs were 16-for-25 at the charity stripe.
- Rebounding was nearly even, as Dallas grabbed 38 compared to 35 for the opposition. Texas Lutheran forced 18 turnovers and swiped 11 steals, while committing only 11 miscues of its own. The points off turnovers favored TLU 22-10. Points in the paint were even at 16 apiece, and each bench compiled 12 points.
- Dydalewicz led with a game-high 20 points and Lye added a double figure performance with 15.
UP NEXT
Dallas plays its final home game tomorrow at 6 p.m. against Southwestern University. The Lady Crusaders remain one game behind their opponent for fifth place in the SCAC, after SU's loss at Austin College.