Trio of Crusaders combine for 60 points; Women's Basketball tops Dallas Christian Tuesday
IRVING, Texas – For the second straight game, Michelle DeCoud (Monument, Colo.) tallied at least 30 points for as many times in her career. Despite being two shy of her previous personal best with 32, the junior forward did surpass a new career-high in field goals (14) to help propel the University of Dallas women's basketball team (9-7) above Dallas Christian College in 71-62 fashion on Tuesday night. This is UD's 30th win in 32 meetings all-time with the NAIA program.
The nine victories surpass 2015-16's total now, as the Crusaders won for consecutive times for the first time since their record-tying six-game streak.
STAT NOTABLES
(Individual Notes)
- DeCoud achieved her 7th straight contest to break double figures. It is also her 3rd straight double-double and 9th on the campaign with a game-high 14 rebounds. The reigning United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Player of the Week also added four blocks.
- Holly Tonry (Seattle, Wash.) matched a career-high 11 assists and was one shy from tying the school single-game record (three times). Her previous game with that many dimes was on January 23, 2016, at home versus Schreiner University.
- Tonry eclipsed double-digits in points with 11, and recorded her first double-double this year with as many assists. Her eight boards tied a season-most for the third time and had her two away from a triple-double.
- Seana Stoia (Tulsa, Okla.) contributed 18 points and eight boards. The forward was perfect (3-3) from long range, as the Crusaders only made four overall.
- Dallas Christian was led by Breana Stoner with 15 points and also had 11 assists. Victoria Kyukendall and Erionna Brown each scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.
(Team Notes)
- UD shot 49.1 percent from the field while Dallas Christian was at 43.9 percent.
- The home Crusaders repeated 29 field goals and 15 free throws in their back-to-back triumphs.
- This is the 3rd game in a row Dallas has registered 17 assists. Its opposition had 19.
- The home team did well on the glass with 44-20 edge. This included 14-4 on the offensive boards. Dallas also tallied 11 more second chance points and boasted a 44-26 difference with points in the paint.
- The visiting Crusaders forced 24 turnovers and led to a 10-point difference (27-17) in points off them.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dallas stormed out of the gates with 14 unanswered points in under four minutes. Stoia was a huge factor in the outburst with the first four points in a minute and then added an and-one at 7:40 to cap the first seven-of-nine points in that stretch. Caitlyn Worry (Lumberton, Texas) sank a three-pointer and DeCoud record the first points on her big night at 6:46.
The guests started chipping away with seven-of-nine points to cut the deficit back to single-digits and 4:05 remaining in the first quarter. On two occasions DCC reduced the margin to eight, including a jumper by Kyukendall with time nearing expiration. This momentum carried into the second frame, as the road Crusaders got within three-points (24-21) two minutes in on a trifecta by Stoner.
DeCoud countered for UD with a jumper and made the extra free throw on the foul at 7:06. Dallas Christian roared back on the next six points to force the first knotted score since tip-off with about midway to play before intermission. All baskets in this run were layups and the final four came off UD turnovers. A trey by Stoner lifted her Crusaders to their first lead of the night, 31-30 with 2:56. The team's leading scorer traded baskets with UD's leading scorer, DeCoud, for another lead change. She was responsible for her squad's final six points going into the break. DeCoud rattled around a jumper at the buzzer to put each side at 33 points.
The home side broke the deadlock on a Tonry layup 13 seconds into the next stanza, and the Navy and White never trailed the remainder of the contest. It was another cold spell for DCC, as the opposition did not score until a field goal by Kyukendall made it 41-37 with 5:42. Dallas had rattled off six straight and maintained a lead by as many as seven twice near the end of the third.
UD continued to expand its advantage throughout the rest of the game, gaining its first double-digit margin on the final three by Stoia with 3:21 to reflect a 65-54 difference. Stoia made all of her treys in the second half and two of them in the last quarter. A layup by DeCoud with 2:28 tied the Crusaders' largest lead of the game at 14, which was last done on the quick start.
The visitors erased barely over half the deficit with seven unanswered points to make it 68-62 with 1:36 remaining. Celsi Caraway (Arlington, Texas) sank both her shots at the charity stripe and Stoia split to give Dallas the final three points of the game.
UP NEXT
Dallas returns to conference play with nine games left. Next game is Friday versus Schreiner University at 5:30 p.m.