Crusaders Take Down St. Thomas for Fourth Straight Win

HOUSTON, Texas - The University of Dallas women's basketball team won their conference match with the University of St. Thomas 60-54 on Saturday.  They improve to 7-5 on the year and are now 3-2 in conference play.

The Crusaders led for nearly all 40 minutes of the game, taking an 8-0 lead after four minutes and never looking back.  They were far from their best from the field, going 3-of-12, but got it done at the free throw line (7-of-10), and out-rebounded and out-blocked the Celts in the first quarter.

Dallas let their grip on the lead slip briefly in the second quarter, as St. Thomas tied it up at 13-13 in the first minute of the period.  A minute later, the lead was theirs again, building that lead to as many as 12 points in the period.  St. Thomas managed to close the gap a bit before the buzzer, but Dallas still held a 29-22 lead going into halftime.

The Celts were not going to roll over and let Dallas take home the win so easily, outscoring the Crusaders in the third quarter and tying the game up once again at 38-38 with two minutes left in the period.  That would be the final time the Crusaders let the lead slip away, however, as they reclaimed the lead within 20 seconds and never relinquished it.  

It was still anybody's game, with the Celts hot on Dallas' heels trailing by just three points with 30 seconds remaining.  The Celts were forced to foul, and the Crusaders made three of their last four three throws to seal the deal, securing their fourth straight win.

Adryan Alvarez led the team with 15 points in 26 minutes off the bench, going 6-of-8 from the line and snagging five rebounds.  Maria Dicenta went 5-of-10 from the field for 11 points with five rebounds, and Ashley Hall scored 10 points in 25 minutes off the bench with four rebounds, making it two consecutive games with 10+ points for the first time in her Crusader career.

Up Next

The Crusaders are back at home next weekend to resume conference play.  They will host Trinity at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6 to kick-off the new year.