TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Dallas vs. Schreiner University (2/27)
(Photo Graphic Courtesy of Hannah Miller)
SITE AND TIME OF LOCATION
(No. 4-Seed) Schreiner University vs. (No. 5-Seed) University of Dallas
Friday, Feb. 27 in Irving, Texas
Tip-off at 1 PM at the Maher Athletic Center
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
SCAC Basketball Championship Media
Video provided by Sportsgram (fee charged for viewing)
Livestats (Each link direct to individual contest)
OPENING TIP
The University of Dallas women's basketball team (14-11, 7-7 SCAC) meets its first opponent on the hardwood as the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships begin on Friday at the Maher Athletic Center.
Dallas will host Schreiner University (11-13, 9-5 SCAC) in the opening contest of 10 with both the women's and men's tournament setting at the home venue for the Navy and White. First tip is slated at 1 p.m.
SUCCESS ON SENIOR DAY
The Lady Crusaders managed to complete the regular campaign with a victory versus Austin College last Saturday with a 90-81 final. Prior to the contest, a quartet of players were recognized for senior day including: Briana Bricher, Marleyna Bustamante, Chelsea Cole, and Brooke Hagemann.
A Hagemann and Bustamante duo poured in 20-point performances paced by Hagemann's 21 that came three shy of a season-high matched twice previously. Sophomore Sammi Tso chipped in 17 while freshman Michelle DeCoud neared a double-double in 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Roos' of AC boasted a scorching 64.3-percent shooting average from the field and 54.5-percent beyond the three-point arc in the first stanza. Those numbers dipped to 38.5-percent and a 18.2 clip in the respective categories in the second.
UD orchestrated a 47-3 stretch in the latter half to erase a seven point deficit at the break. The home squad posted a 47.6-percentage in shooting both from the floor and from three-point land.
KEY NOTES ON LADY CRUSADERS
Dallas posted an 8-5 record at the Maher Athletic Center this season. The Navy and White claimed four of the last five contests against league opponents in the friendly confines.
As a team, UD ranks second in the SCAC in the scoring with 72.1 points-per-game (ppg), and sits atop the rankings in three-point percentage at 33.6-percent.
Pacing the offense for the squad is Bustamante. The guard from Donna, Texas is averaging 12.1 ppg and has garnered 16 double figure scoring performances. Her season-best occurred on Jan. 24 versus Texas Lutheran University at home. Bustamante remains the team-leader in steals with 51 and ranks fourth in conference.
Hagemann ranks second on Dallas in several categories with 11.8 ppg, 157 rebounds, and 48 steals overall. The forward matches Bustamante with 16 double figure scoring contests and has tied a season-best 24 points twice on the campaign.
Grabbing the most rebounds on the team and slotted third in the SCAC standings for most boards is DeCoud with 198 and 7.9 per contest. The native of Monument, Colorado, is averaging 11.0 ppg to round out a trio of double-digit scorers for the Navy and White. DeCoud has notched a team-best three double-doubles. Her career-high occurred at Colorado College on Jan. 18 with 27 points.
Tso has guided the offense from the point guard role with 68 assists to lead the team and has poured 44 three-pointers in from downtown. The Las Vegas, Nevada, native is atop the league with a 41.5 percentage.
SCOUTING SCHREINER
The Mountaineers concluded the regular season with a 61-50 setback at Trinity last Saturday. Brooke Sanders and Sabriyyah Fennell each totaled double figures with 15 and 10 points, respectively.
Trinity held a 38-33 edge on the rebounds.
Kelsie Jackson leads the Maroon and White with 12.2 ppg and a team-high 13.7 verses SCAC opponents. Sanders is averaging 11.1 and Fennel is averaging 10.1 points a contest against conference.
Schreiner ranks second with the second fewest points allowed at 61.9. SU won two of the last three, but has struggled away from the home confines, going 5-11 on opponent courts. This includes a 1-4 display at neutral sites.
MATCH-UP BREAKDOWN
Dallas went 0-2 versus the Mountaineers this season, including a three-point setback (69-66) at the Maher Athletic Center.
In that contest, a trio of UD players notched double-digits in scoring led by Bustamante and Hagemann with 13 apiece. Sophomore Seana Stoia contributed 11. Hagemann and Stoia pulled down eight and seven rebounds, respective.
Codi Simmons and Jackson each posted 14 points to lead Schreiner. After a 35-35 deadlock at halftime, the Mountaineers would rally and tie things at 58-all with 2:46 remaining in the game. A 6-0 run lifted SU to an advantage that never was relinquished.
At Kerrville, Texas, the Lady Crusaders held a 35-24 edge at the break, but Schreiner caught fire in the second stanza to prevail 72-65. Leading Dallas in scoring was DeCoud with 21, Tso with 17, and Stoia with 10.
The home squad benefitted from Jackson's game-high 30 points and nine boards.
Dallas hopes to end a six-game slide against the Mountaineers dating back to 2011-12. The teams have never met in a SCAC tournament affair.
A PEAK AT OTHER PARTICIPANTS
Southwestern University (13-12, 11-3 SCAC) claimed the top seed in the SCAC Tournament as well as earning a share of the SCAC regular season title with both Texas Lutheran and Trinity. Jordan Owens is pacing the offense with 16.8 ppg. Annie Bourne is averaging 11.1 points and a league-high 12.5 rebounds per contest. The Pirates will play at 1 p.m. on Feb. 28 against Friday's winner of Dallas versus Schreiner.
At No. 2, and also sharing the regular season title is Texas Lutheran (16-8, 11-3 SCAC). The defending SCAC champions pulled off a thrilling victory last year over Trinity. Karisa Cantu drained a game-winning trifecta to propel TLU to its first-ever women's basketball conference title.
Cantu returns and is scoring 12.3 ppg and dishing out 4.3 assists per game. Bolstering the offense to lead both the Black and Gold and SCAC is Taylor Dydalewicz with 17.9 ppg and shooting 44.6-percent from the field. TLU will play Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. versus Friday's winner of Trinity and Austin College.
Trinity (19-5, 11-3 SCAC) claims a share in the three-team regular season title, but will take on Austin College at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 after a series of tiebreakers were completed. Last season, TU ranked as the No. 2-seed and found itself in a fantastic showdown with Texas Lutheran. However, the trifecta mentioned above sank the Tigers in a 54-52 final.
Leading Trinity this season is Anecia Richardson 13.7 points being averaged and a 54.5 shooting percentage to rank second in the league. Hannah Coley is averaging 10.2 points a contest.
Austin College (5-9, 10-14 SCAC) rounds out the bracket by being slotted No. 6 and will play Trinity in the 3 p.m. contest on Friday. The Roos' just visited the Maher Athletic Center last Saturday and fell 90-81 to UD. The visitors did shoot 64.3-percent and 54.5-percent beyond the arch in a 50-point first half.
AC fell in the quarterfinal match to Schreiner in last year's tournament, and are led by Christine Kime with 13.0 ppg, while Erin Riley, and Brianna Harvey are averaging 10.6 and 10.5, respectively.
UP NEXT
A victory for Dallas would extend its season to the SCAC Semifinals on Saturday versus Texas Lutheran. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Dallas Twitter: UDallas Athletics (@UDallasSports)
SCAC Twitter: SCAC Sports (@SCAC_Sports)
Women's Basketball Twitter: udallaswbb (@UDallasWBB)
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics