Women's Basketball Drops Home Finale to TLU
February 3, 2024
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas women's basketball team lost their conference matchup against Texas Lutheran 66-59 on Saturday, falling to 13-10 overall on the year and 7-7 in conference play.
The Crusaders came out of the gates hot, sinking five of their first 10 shots to jump out to an early 12-2 lead. The Bulldogs were woeful to start the game, going 0-of-9 from the field in the first six and a half minutes. TLU eventually made up some ground in the final minutes of the period, but Dallas went into the second quarter with an 18-10 lead and seemingly in control of the game.
While TLU did begin to right the ship in the second quarter, Dallas still looked very much the better side. The Crusaders shot 46% from the field and led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs rattled off seven unanswered points in the final 90 seconds to halve the deficit and go into halftime trailing 32-25.
TLU came out with a red hot third quarter, dropping 21 points on 50% shooting while the Crusaders struggled at 30% from the field in the period. The Bulldogs tied the game up with 35 seconds left, then took a two-point lead with 19 seconds left and took that lead into the fourth quarter.
It came down to playing the foul game in the final minute of the game, with the Crusaders trailing by five. The Crusaders scored eight points on a couple of threes and a layup in the final 90 seconds, but the Bulldogs went 5-of-8 from the line to hold them off and seal the win.
Kat Santos led the team with 15 points in 26 minutes off the bench, going 6-of-11 from the field with seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Tessa Hastings had 14 points, going 5-of-9 from the field, while also notching five assists.
The Crusaders honored their 2024 senior class prior to the start of the game: Alyssa Sullivan, Imani Hardin, and student assistant coach Camille Fowler.
Up Next
The Crusaders will be on the road for the remainder of the season. Next, they will face Austin College on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 5:00 pm.