Box Score 1 HOUSTON, Texas – The Dallas Christian College women's basketball team started the 2021-22 campaign off nicely with a 74-66 victory at NCAA Division III opponent University of St. Thomas, 74-66, on Friday afternoon. The game was an exhibition for DCC, so does not affect record. However, the Celts moved to 0-1 after the upset and had been selected sixth in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll out of nine teams.
The Crusaders ambushed St. Thomas from the opening tip by scoring the first 10 points. Layups by
Amber Covington and
Keiarra Rivers started the run. Faith Salinas nailed a three-pointer to give the Crusaders a 7-0 lead in the first three minutes.
Naiya Brown would convert a three-point play at the free throw line to conclude the run. DCC would finish the first quarter up 18-10.
In the second quarter, DCC never trailed but allowed the deficit to shrink to three at one juncture before a spurt pushed the advantage to as many as nine with 2:04 minutes left until halftime thanks to a triple by Salinas. Over the next minute, the Celts nipped the gap to a point (30-29) thanks a 9-2 scoring swing. DCC's
Briana Davis had the final basket of the first half with a layup in the final six seconds. Journie Hillard dished the assist.
A back-and-forth third quarter saw the Crusaders match their greatest lead of the game at nine and then also trail by one (41-40) just passed the halfway mark of the third quarter. Down by two at 42-44, Brown would answer with a jumper and DCC never trailed the remainder of the game. Up by two going into the last stanza, DCC was tied twice but would not fall behind and pushed a double-digit lead thanks to a 13-2 run. Eight of the points occurred off free throws.
There was only one quarter that St. Thomas outscored DCC and that was third by a single point. All other frames saw the Crusaders outscore the home team by at least five.
Rivers notched a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards.
Mckayla Washington tossed in 12 points, along with Brown. Covington nearly had the team's second double-double as her 11 points matched a game-high and she had eight points. Salinas and
Taylor Brokenberry (Typo in Box Score) both tallied eight points, and Brokenberry hauled down 10 boards.
The next day proved difficult for DCC with an exhibition at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. DCC second year head coach
Larry Tidwell returned to one of several of his previous coaching stops. He is the winningest coach in UTRGV history after leading the team from 2013-18 with an 85-75 record and the first three postseason appearances in program history.
Rivers led the team again with 14 points. She added six rebounds and two steals.
Dallas Christian plays its home opener on Friday, November 12 vs. North American University at 2 p.m. The Crusaders are home the next day against Calvary University at 12 p.m.
"Dallas Christian educates and mentors students to be people of influence engaging in their calling to the work of Christ in the church and in the world."
