GAME PREVIEW: Women's Basketball at Dallas Christian College
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
OPENING TIP
The University of Dallas women's basketball team (10-8, 4-5 SCAC) takes a break from a stretch of eight-straight conference contests for a meeting at Dallas Christian College on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
Dallas seeks to end a three-game slide, its second time on the campaign to mark that many, and will look to improve its victory total versus non-conference foes. The Lady Crusaders have gone 6-3 against opponents outside the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) and have prevailed in three of the last four.
RECENT PLAY
Dallas went 0-2 over the weekend with a pair of setbacks at Southwestern University (57-54) on Friday, and Texas Lutheran University (92-75) on Saturday.
UD shot 31.6-percent from the field compared to a 36.7 clip by the Pirates. The Black and Gold also outrebounded the road team 45-37. The Lady Crusaders were within range throughout the contest, trailing by one at intermission.
Senior Marleyna Bustamante (Donna, Texas) was the lone player to crack double figures in scoring for the Navy and White, notching 19 points. Her first free throw four minutes after the opening tip lifted her to a career 1,000 points for the guard. She is the 11th player in University of Dallas history to accomplish the feat.
At Texas Lutheran, the Lady Crusaders improved their shooting to a 45.5 percentage, nearly matching the home squad's 45.9-percent. Bustamante led all UD scorers again with 21 points, coming three shy of matching her season-high that occurred two weeks ago against the same opponent in Irving, Texas.
Sophomore Seana Stoia (Tulsa, Okla.) contributed a season-high 14 points while fellow teammate Lindsey Gendron (Houston, Texas) added 11.
TEAM-LEADERS
Bustamante surged into the top scoring position for UD after another sensational weekend that saw are average 20 points-per-game (ppg). In her last quartet of contests, the senior guard has tallied at least 18 points and has now totaled 12.6 ppg. On Saturday she shot 10-of-12 from the free throw line, becoming the third player to match or surpass the double figure mark this year.
Senior Brooke Hagemann (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and freshman Michelle DeCoud (Monument, Colo.) have formed a powerful punch in the post for Dallas, averaging a respective 11.9 and 11.7 points a contest.
DeCoud has grabbed the most boards on the squad with 141 while Hagemann ranks second pulling down 121.
Stoia's season-best two days ago means she has broken double-digits in the scoring category in three of the last four games. The forward has hit the mark nine times overall and is averaging 9.1 ppg against the league.
Fellow classmate Sammy Tso (Las Vegas, Nev.) holds the team-high on the season in assists dishing out 45.
SCOUTING DALLAS CHRISTIAN
DCC is a member of the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA) and in the Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA). Through six contests, Sapora Richard boasts the most points on the squad with 87 and 14.5 ppg.
Also notching big numbers for the Crusaders Brooke Stewart with 73 and 12.2 ppg. Hannah Foley has seized a 10.1 clip for Dallas Christian, while Richard holds the most rebounds with 45.
SERIES HISTORY
These teams have met several times in the past, and the University of Dallas have claimed triumphs in the last 10 matchups dating back to the 2009-10 season. Last year, UD defeated the Crusaders at both venues by the same output of 90 points; the highest amount for the Navy and White on that campaign.
At Farmers Branch, Texas, the site of Tuesday's affair; the Navy and White held a 39-32 advantage at the break and outscored DCC 51-44 in the second stanza. Gendron paced the visitors with a personal high 23 points on a 9-of-12 effort from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range.
Hagemann tossed 12 points in the hoop and a trio of players tied for 10 each including: Bustamante, Stoia and graduated senior Christy Allen (Burton, Mich.)
The Lady Crusaders have set records against Dallas Christian in Field Goals made (49) and three-point field goals connected on (14) on Nov. 21, 2000 and Feb. 8, 2012, respectively.
UP NEXT
Dallas will resume SCAC action again on Feb. 6-7 at the Maher Athletic Center for Centenary College of Louisiana and Colorado College. Both start times are set at 6 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Dallas Twitter: UDallas Athletics (@UDallasSports)
Women's Basketball Twitter: udallaswbb (@UDallasWBB)
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics