PREVIEW: Women's Basketball SCAC Tournament
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
Video (All games will be streamed free on College TV Ticket)
SOCIAL MEDIA
Dallas Twitter: @UDallasSports
Women's Basketball Twitter: @dallaswbb
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallassports
TIP-OFF
The University of Dallas women's basketball team plays in game two of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Quarterfinals on Friday around 2 p.m. Southwestern University will be hosting the tournament for both men's and women's from February 24-26.
Dallas went 11-14 and 3-11 in conference this regular season. The Crusaders are coming off a 71-63 victory at home versus Colorado College that helped secure the sixth and final seed in the bracket.
UD NOTES
- Holly Tonry (Seattle, Wash.) performed a career-high 24 points (10-19 FG) in last weekend's Senior Day triumph. She also garnered six rebounds and seven assists to help gain SCAC Player of the Week.
- Tonry is 13th in NCAA Division III for assists. The conference leader has dished at least seven dimes in 10 games, counting the most recent.
- Michelle DeCoud (Monument, Colo.) is the team leader in scoring and third in the SCAC with a 15.4 points-per-game (ppg) mark. DeCoud also ranks third in field goal percentage (51.0) and paces the squad with 21 double-digit scoring games.
- DeCoud leads the team in double-doubles (11) and ranks second in the league for rebounds per contest at 10.2-clip. The school's record holder for blocks in a single season (57) and is tied 37th in NCAA DIII.
- Seana Stoia (Tulsa, Okla.) is 2nd on the team in scoring with 13.3 ppg and is averaging 7.3 boards. She is the team leader in free throws at 79.5 percent (97-122) and sits at exactly 360 made for her career.
- The forward is just the 6th all-time UD player in the program to crack 1,000 points (1,016) and 500 rebounds (549). Finally, Stoia is 6th in conference from long distance at 37.1 percent.
- Caitlyn Worry (Lumberton, Texas) leads the squad in made three-pointers with 40.
UD HISTORY IN SCAC TOURNEY
After missing the postseason last year, second-year head coach Greta Grothe guides a team that is seeking its second win in an SCAC Tournament game. The lone win was Dallas' first appearance in 2012-13 against Centenary College 59-57.
UD's most recent game was two seasons ago when it hosted as the 5th seed and fell to Schreiner University 58-53. Stoia led that game in scoring out of the returners with 10 points and grabbed six rebounds. DeCoud posted seven points and boards. Other returners with experience include Helen Onyenso (Oak Park, Ill.) and Lindsey Gendron (Houston, Texas). Tonry did not play that game (injury) and only has played her freshman season against Trinity University.
SCOUTING THE 'ROOS
Austin College prevailed at Centenary to close its regular season last Saturday in a 75-64 result. The 'Roos won their final two games on the campaign to earn the No. 3 seed with an 18-7 record and 10-4 SCAC mark.
Bryce Frank is averaging a double-double herself to matchup with UD's DeCoud down in the post. Frank has tallied 14.4 points (5th SCAC) and sits atop in rebounds-per-game with 10.6 mark. Olivia Cicci and Ann Savage are top two in conference for three-point percentage at 42.4 and 41.3 respective clips. Savage has passed 82 assists and has a 1.7 assists to turnover ratio.
The 'Roos won both meetings this season. On January 13, Dallas lost 64-59 (Game Box) at Sherman. DeCoud and Stoia both posted double-doubles. DeCoud had 12 points and 11 boards, while Stoia etched 11 and 12. Worry added 11 points with a trio of trifectas and Onyenso scored nine off the bench. Austin College was led by Caitlyn Collins from the reserves with a game-high 21 points. Kendall Heitmeier had a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards to go with four steals.
In game two at Irving, the Crusaders were topped 63-51 on Feb. 3 (Game Box). Stoia was Dallas' leading scored with 16 points. Worry tied a season-high 14 points and matched a career-most four three-pointers for the 4th occasion. DeCoud contributed 10 points, and Onyenso led the Crusaders on the glass with nine (seven offensive). AC had a trio of double-digit scorers paced by Savage with 17. This included 50 percent (4-8) from downtown. Heitmeier repeated her scoring and rebounding numbers at 15 and 10. Frank claimed 14 and 10 for a double-double as well.
This is the first time these programs will meet in the SCAC Tournament.
REST OF THE FIELD
No. 1 Trinity University (24-1, 13-1 SCAC)
No. 2 Texas Lutheran University (20-5, 12-2 SCAC)
No. 4. Schreiner University (10-15, 8-6 SCAC)
No. 5 Southwestern University (10-15, 7-7 SCAC)
UP NEXT
The winner plays Texas Lutheran University on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs earned a bye with the second seed.