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UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS ATHLETICS
Crusaders Grab Late Lead and Hold off Centenary in SCAC Win on Saturday

Crusaders Grab Late Lead and Hold off Centenary in SCAC Win on Saturday

IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas women's basketball team defeated Centenary College, 59-54, at the Maher Center on Saturday evening to pick up its first win in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play. The Crusaders (3-5, 1-1 SCAC) were behind the majority of the game until they grabbed a 47-46 lead in the last 3:37 minutes of the game and held on from there.

The home team used a timely 7-0 run capped by a rare three-pointer from Jules Oliveti (Southlake, Texas) to go up six (53-47) with 2:48 in the contest. Centenary (0-9, 0-2 SCAC) had a couple free throws and trey from Destini Powell in front of her team's bench to nip the deficit to one (53-52) with 1:25 remaining. On the next possession, Madi Horne (Paradise, Texas) heaved a long-range trifecta that banked off the backboard into the net to stretch the lead to four and under a minute.

Bre Frierson logged 20 points for a game-high and counted a layup and drew a foul to make it 56-54 with 31 ticks left. She missed the free throw and a jumpball switched the possession arrow to UD. The Ladies missed a three-point attempt on the next play and another tie-up gave the Crusaders the important possession. Oliveti and Beyonce Perry (Lake Jackson, Texas) connected on three-of-four free throws to seal the team's second win in three games this month and cap off 2019 on a positive note.

Oliveti gave the Crusaders a 2-1 lead at the start and that was the last lead the home team held until the final quarter. Centenary went up to a five-point lead at times in the first period, but UD countered back throughout. Perry nailed a trey in the last minute to make it a 15-13 deficit, but Frierson put in a layup to finish the first frame with a 17-13 advantage. Frierson scored seven of the team's points that quarter.

The Ladies expanded the lead in the second quarter to as many as nine points early on with a quick start. Perry hit a jump shot and Panda Houseworth (Farmersville, Texas) went 2-for-2 at the line to make it a 28-24 halftime score. Centenary's largest margin ahead this game was nine, as the guests achieved the difference again in the third quarter about halfway through.

Dallas struck for a couple field goals by Oliveti with Houseworth assisting her for the open shots. Gracie Williams (Midwest City, Okla.) dished into the junior forward again at 1:15 to cut the score to 39-37. Centenary's Powell hit a timely three to end the 7-0 surge by UD. Powell finished with five trifectas to contribute to most of her 17 points and had another three prior to the oppositions' run.

A couple Perry free throws put Dallas behind 42-39 and gave it a 15-14 edge in the third quarter.

Perry was responsible for the first points in the last quarter with two free throws nearly three minutes in. Her jumper at 6:38 to go gave the Crusaders their first lead since the 2-1 juncture. The Ladies answered immediately and leads were traded until that big surge that included Oliveti and Horne putting in the crucial three-pointers. The start of the last 7-0 run had Perry make a jumper for a 48-47 advantage. The Ladies lost the ball on the next possession with Horne swiping one of her three steals of the game and drawing a foul. She was good on both shots at the charity stripe and Oliveti countered a missed Centenary three with just her fourth make of her career.

Perry led the Crusaders offensively with 18 points behind a 7-for-8 effort at the free throw line. Oliveti contributed 15 points and eight boards, while Horne rounded out the trio of Crusaders in double-digits for points with 10. Houseworth added nine points and dished a team-high five assists.

The Crusaders shot 34.7 percent from the field compared to Centenary's 33.9 percent. UD made seven treys which matched its season-best from its win at Southwestern Adventist University (Nov. 19). The Crusaders also turned the ball over a season-low 16 times, while the Ladies had 19 miscues.

Both teams were equal on points off turnovers with 13.

The Ladies were led by Frierson, who had been 7-of-8 from the field at one point, and finished with 20 points. She ended up 8-of-11 overall. Her seven rebounds included seven from the offensive side. A quintet of players recorded at least six rebounds, with three of them tying a team-best seven. Centenary did hold a 22-6 advantage on points in the paint.

The victory for Dallas ended a three-game losing streak head-to-head versus the Ladies. It was the Crusaders sixth win in the last seven meetings at the Maher Center versus Centenary since 2012-13.


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Dallas is back on the floor in 2020 with a two-game SCAC swing in Colorado with games at Johnson & Wales University (January 3) and Colorado College (January 4). Tip-off times are 7:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.