Crusaders Earn First Home Win this Season by Hanging on to a 64-60 Final on Friday
Posted: Dec 06, 2019

Crusaders Earn First Home Win this Season by Hanging on to a 64-60 Final on Friday

Game Leaders
Dallas Christian College
Pts: Shabaria Walter - 20
Reb: Shabaria Walter - 12
Ast: Karly Baker - 3
University of Dallas
Pts: 2 Players (#15, #25) - 15
Reb: Jules Oliveti - 13
Ast: Panda Houseworth - 6
Team Stats
Full stats

IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas women's basketball team held on to defeat Dallas Christian College, 64-60, on Friday night in the Maher Center. It was the first home win of the 2019-20 campaign for the Crusaders (2-4) in three tries. The Dallas Christian Crusaders (1-8) were down 15 at the end of three quarters, but scored 24 points in the final 10 minutes including a 9-1 run from 2:10 minutes to 1:15 minutes left in regulation to cut the gap to 61-60. Jules Oliveti (Southlake, Texas) grabbed two important rebounds, part of her game-high 13, and sank two crucial free throws to close out the triumph.

UD scored the first 11 points of the contest in the opening five minutes. Panda Houseworth (Farmersville, Texas) hit two free throws at 9:24 and the next time a team scored was a three-pointer by Beyonce Perry (Lake Jackson, Texas) over two minutes later. Madi Horne (Paradise, Texas) added a trey and two free throws to complete the hot start.

Dallas Christian registered its first points nearly six minutes in at 4:13, but answered with a 13-4 run to finish the period down just two. Karly Baker had nipped the score to 11-7 for the visiting Crusaders, but Perry and Horne worked from the free throw line to double the lead before the last push by the guests.

All the ties and lead changes occurred in the second quarter. The home side held the small lead for the early minutes of the stanza. A three-pointer by DCC's Shabaria Walter gave her team a 22-20 lead and one of two occasions it led by that mark. Sides traded points until Houseworth made a trifecta to give the senior's team a 28-25 lead. Avery Roberts countered with a trey of her own a minute later, but Horne pushed in the go-ahead field goal with 1:09 before halftime. Alissa Dutton (Houston, Texas) split at the line to make it a three-point lead.

In the third quarter, Dallas caught momentum and scored its highest points total (2) while keeping the opposition to single-digits. Vanessa Diaz (San Antonio, Texas) garnered 10 points in the second half with six in the third quarter. Perry's three gave her five-of-six points for Dallas in the first four minutes of a slow period, but the home team gained a big advantage thanks to DCC's struggles that resulted in 3-for-16 field goal shooting. The first seven minutes included two free throws and a field goal in a five-minute span difference for the opposing Crusaders. Dallas led by as many as 15 after a 10-0 run from 5:08 to 1:22. The two times UD led by 15 in the closing possessions of the third were the largest of the night. Dallas, who ended up outscored 28-18 for points in the paint overall, did outdo its foe in the third period 8-4.

The home Crusaders maintained around a double-digit lead midway through the fourth. A Dutton layup was the last made field goal for the Crusaders with 6:48 remaining. They scored from six free throws in 12 chances the rest of the way. Dallas Christian could not find the bottom of the net either for over three minutes and finally got a late charge with three-point plays by Ariel Leal and Walter, who gave an old fashioned three-point play between Leal's treys.

Leal got the gap to one (61-60) with 1:25 minutes left. Dallas turned it over and Perry later came up with a huge steal after DCC missed a three and got the offensive board. UD would not take advantage after losing possession on an offensive foul, but Dallas Christian could not convert on any late shot attempts. Oliveti grabbed her season-best 13th rebound and went 2-for-2 at the line to make it a three-point gap. After another miss with under 20 seconds, Perry converted one-of-two to ice the game.

Horne and Diaz led a trio of players with 15 points. Diaz secured a season-high. The duo each had seven boards, and Perry chipped in 14 points to round out a trio of Crusaders in double figures. Houseworth dished six dimes. Perry had four steals, while Diaz and Horne came up with three apiece to contribute to the team's season-high 13. UD went 26-for-43 at the free throw line, as Dallas Christian got called for 29 fouls.

UD shot 35.4 percent overall and was 4-for-20 at the three-point line. Dallas Christian struggled from three going 6-for-26. The guests won the rebounding battle 49-45. This included 17 offensive boards.

Walter led DCC with 20 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. She swiped seven steals. Leal and Keyzaria Gadison chipped in 12 and 11, respectively, from the bench. Baker also had 11.

There were 61 combined turnovers with both sides committing at least 30.

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Dallas is off for two weeks to focus on finals. The team returns to action at home on December 20 with Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play beginning with inaugural member University of St. Thomas.