Crusaders Grab Late Lead and Hold off Centenary in SCAC Win on Saturday
Posted: Dec 21, 2019

Crusaders Grab Late Lead and Hold off Centenary in SCAC Win on Saturday

Game Leaders
Centenary College of Louisiana
Pts: Bre Frierson - 20
Reb: 2 Players (#40, #41) - 7
Ast: 2 Players (#21, #40) - 5
University of Dallas
Pts: Beyonce Perry - 18
Reb: Jules Oliveti - 8
Ast: Panda Houseworth - 5
Team Stats
Full stats

IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas women's basketball team defeated Centenary College, 59-54, at the Maher Center on Saturday evening to pick up its first win in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play. The Crusaders (3-5, 1-1 SCAC) were behind the majority of the game until they grabbed a 47-46 lead in the last 3:37 minutes of the game and held on from there.

The home team used a timely 7-0 run capped by a rare three-pointer from Jules Oliveti (Southlake, Texas) to go up six (53-47) with 2:48 in the contest. Centenary (0-9, 0-2 SCAC) had a couple free throws and trey from Destini Powell in front of her team's bench to nip the deficit to one (53-52) with 1:25 remaining. On the next possession, Madi Horne (Paradise, Texas) heaved a long-range trifecta that banked off the backboard into the net to stretch the lead to four and under a minute.

Bre Frierson logged 20 points for a game-high and counted a layup and drew a foul to make it 56-54 with 31 ticks left. She missed the free throw and a jumpball switched the possession arrow to UD. The Ladies missed a three-point attempt on the next play and another tie-up gave the Crusaders the important possession. Oliveti and Beyonce Perry (Lake Jackson, Texas) connected on three-of-four free throws to seal the team's second win in three games this month and cap off 2019 on a positive note.

Oliveti gave the Crusaders a 2-1 lead at the start and that was the last lead the home team held until the final quarter. Centenary went up to a five-point lead at times in the first period, but UD countered back throughout. Perry nailed a trey in the last minute to make it a 15-13 deficit, but Frierson put in a layup to finish the first frame with a 17-13 advantage. Frierson scored seven of the team's points that quarter.

The Ladies expanded the lead in the second quarter to as many as nine points early on with a quick start. Perry hit a jump shot and Panda Houseworth (Farmersville, Texas) went 2-for-2 at the line to make it a 28-24 halftime score. Centenary's largest margin ahead this game was nine, as the guests achieved the difference again in the third quarter about halfway through.

Dallas struck for a couple field goals by Oliveti with Houseworth assisting her for the open shots. Gracie Williams (Midwest City, Okla.) dished into the junior forward again at 1:15 to cut the score to 39-37. Centenary's Powell hit a timely three to end the 7-0 surge by UD. Powell finished with five trifectas to contribute to most of her 17 points and had another three prior to the oppositions' run.

A couple Perry free throws put Dallas behind 42-39 and gave it a 15-14 edge in the third quarter.

Perry was responsible for the first points in the last quarter with two free throws nearly three minutes in. Her jumper at 6:38 to go gave the Crusaders their first lead since the 2-1 juncture. The Ladies answered immediately and leads were traded until that big surge that included Oliveti and Horne putting in the crucial three-pointers. The start of the last 7-0 run had Perry make a jumper for a 48-47 advantage. The Ladies lost the ball on the next possession with Horne swiping one of her three steals of the game and drawing a foul. She was good on both shots at the charity stripe and Oliveti countered a missed Centenary three with just her fourth make of her career.

Perry led the Crusaders offensively with 18 points behind a 7-for-8 effort at the free throw line. Oliveti contributed 15 points and eight boards, while Horne rounded out the trio of Crusaders in double-digits for points with 10. Houseworth added nine points and dished a team-high five assists.

The Crusaders shot 34.7 percent from the field compared to Centenary's 33.9 percent. UD made seven treys which matched its season-best from its win at Southwestern Adventist University (Nov. 19). The Crusaders also turned the ball over a season-low 16 times, while the Ladies had 19 miscues.

Both teams were equal on points off turnovers with 13.

The Ladies were led by Frierson, who had been 7-of-8 from the field at one point, and finished with 20 points. She ended up 8-of-11 overall. Her seven rebounds included seven from the offensive side. A quintet of players recorded at least six rebounds, with three of them tying a team-best seven. Centenary did hold a 22-6 advantage on points in the paint.

The victory for Dallas ended a three-game losing streak head-to-head versus the Ladies. It was the Crusaders sixth win in the last seven meetings at the Maher Center versus Centenary since 2012-13.

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UP NEXT

Dallas is back on the floor in 2020 with a two-game SCAC swing in Colorado with games at Johnson & Wales University (January 3) and Colorado College (January 4). Tip-off times are 7:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.