PREVIEW: Women's Basketball - Southwestern University (1/6) | Texas Lutheran (1/8)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(Southwestern University 1/6)
(Texas Lutheran University 1/8)
SOCIAL MEDIA
Dallas Twitter: @UDallasSports
Women's Basketball Twitter: @dallaswbb
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallassports
OPENING TIP
The University of Dallas women's basketball team remains home this weekend for two Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) games. Dallas hosts its first conference game this season on Friday versus Southwestern University at 5:30 p.m. The three-game home stand concludes Sunday with Texas Lutheran University at 12 p.m.
The Crusaders are 7-4 overall and 0-1 within SCAC play. 13 of the remaining 14 contests this season are against league opponents, including the next four. Dallas is coming off a 77-70 loss in overtime to Hendrix on Tuesday. The lone conference game this season was last month at Colorado College, where the final was 51-46.
UD NOTES
- Seana Stoia (Tulsa, Okla.) continues leading the team in scoring with 155 points and 15.0 points-per-game (ppg). The forward is shooting 50.5 percent in field goals (4th in SCAC) and 79.3 percent (46-58) at the free throw line. Stoia also sits second on the squad in rebounds with 89.
- Michelle DeCoud (Monument, Colo.) produced her highest scoring performances the previous two outings. After a season-high at Blackburn College, the junior poured a game-high 19 on Tuesday. She has nine double-digit scoring performances overall.
- DeCoud remains first in the conference and team with 11.2 rebounds per game. She tied the school record for blocks (8) against Hendrix. DeCoud also ranks first in the SCAC with 29 rejections (2.6 average).
- Dallas leads the league in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 601 points and 54.6 ppg. The team is second in rebounding margin (+5.4) only behind Sunday's opponent in Texas Lutheran (+5.5). UD is also tied for second in blocks with Trinity University at 44 apiece. Centenary College leads with 50.
- Three of the top five individuals are from Dallas. Sammi Tso (Las Vegas, Nev.) is second at 84.4 percent (27-32). DeCoud follows at 81.8 percent (27-33), and Stoia rounds out the first five at 79.3 percent (46-58).
- Holly Tonry (Seattle, Wash.) remains in first in the SCAC for assists at 52 (5.2 per game).
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
(Southwestern University)
The Pirates are 3-8 this season, and have dropped their last two contests in a row. Friday will be the conference opener for the Gold and Black. Southwestern is 0-4 in away games so far. The team ended 2016 on the final day with a 65-54 setback against McMurry University. The Pirates' matchup at Irving will be the first in 2017.
Tori Carraway paces the offense with 159 points and 14.5 ppg. Her scoring average ranks fourth in the SCAC. Also above triple-digits in points is Madison Edwards with 103 (9.4 ppg). The squad ranks third in the conference for rebounding margin at +2.8-clip. The Pirates do boast the highest rebounding offense at 45.7 a game. Carraway also leads the team in rebounds with 98 (8.9) and steals (19). Two other players, Olivia Podaras and Brooke Swift, have swiped 17 and 13 steals, respectively. Swift has dished a team-high 31 assists.
The Crusaders went 0-2 last season against Southwestern. UD hosts its first conference game this season with the same foe that ended the year at the Maher Center. The Pirates prevailed 71-53, with Carraway tallying a game-high 23 points and adding nine rebounds. Podaras added 16 points and seven boards. For the Crusaders, Lindsey Gendron (Houston, Texas) displayed 15 points and DeCoud had a double figure night with 12. Tonry added eight and picked up six steals. Dallas is 6-35 overall against SU.
(Texas Lutheran University)
The Bulldogs are 8-3 this season and begin SCAC play on Friday at Colorado College. TLU started the New Year with a road exhibition game at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Prior to that, the Bulldogs were topped 77-68 at LeTourneau University about a week ago.
Kristen Lye is averaging 14.0 points and has compiled 154 to rank atop the leaderboard. Savannah Hight has contributed 126 and is also averaging double figures with an 11.5-mark. Lye has gotten the job done on the boards with 103 and 9.4 per game (only DeCoud is averaging more). Behind Adelaide (9.5 ppg) and Cierra Jordan (9.0 ppg) is Kasey Hairell (7.9 ppg). Hairell is first in the SCAC for field goal shooting percentage (37-57) with a 64.9-mark.
Dallas is 2-8 in the overall series with the Bulldogs. With two setbacks in head-to-head meetings last season, the Crusaders did come close to defeating TLU at the Maher Center. A 59-54 final favored the guests, but each quarter was tightly contended. Lye had 15 points and seven rebounds. Tonry nearly captured a double-double with 13 points and nine boards. She also dished six dimes. Stoia matched a team-high 13 points and DeCoud chipped in 10.
UP NEXT
Dallas embarks on a road trip to Austin College on January 13 at 6 p.m. and Centenary College on Jan. 14 at 4 p.m.