JOPLIN, Mo. – The Dallas Christian College women's basketball team concluded the Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) Tournament and 2021-22 campaign with a 100-87 final to No. 6 Seed Carolina Christian on Friday. The No. 4 Seed Crusaders ended out of seven teams in that position, as the winner of this game would be deemed the third place finisher.
DCC would defeat No. 5 Seed Kansas Christian College on Wednesday and fell by three points to host and top-seeded Ozark Christina College. On Friday, Champion Christian College defeated Ozark Christian in similar fashion 78-74. The Tigers also won the NCCAA Division II Southwest Regional and now ACCA Tournament.
For the second time in three games, the Crusaders shot above 43 percent from the floor and made at least seven three-pointers. Carolina Christian shot an astounding 54.1 percent from the floor in the game, which included 14-of-19 overall and 5-of-7 from behind the three-point arc in the fourth quarter to lead to a 36-24 period that proved to be the deciding factor in an otherwise back-and-forth game.
Keiarra Rivers led the Crusaders offense with 18 points and eight rebounds. The native of Manor, Texas, made 8-of-9 field goal shots, both free throw attempts, and added three blocks and two steals. The NCCAA Division II Southwest All-Region Second Team winner and ACCA All-American was only out there 23 minutes and put in all-around numbers of the week to cap her first full season with DCC. She was a two-time All-Region recipient after leading the Crusaders to a 14-3 record and runner-up finish in the regional tournament in the spring 2021 semester.
Amber Covington was another Crusader standout that put up good numbers with 14 points and seven rebounds in a team-leading 29 minutes. The native of Rogers, Arkansas, added a steal and assist in what was an overall great tournament for the junior. Covington was a workhorse, playing in all 40 minutes of Thursday night's 74-71 setback to top-seeded and host Ozark Christian College. Covington in her first season with DCC was also named a Southwest All-Region Second Team player. For the ACC Tournament, she was the only Crusader in double figures for points all three contests and combined for 48 points. This included 20 points on Thursday and she also had a leading 14 points in a blowout win over Kansas Christian College.
Another DCC standout was
Faith Salinas with 15 points, as she made 2-of-4 three-pointers to go with four rebounds.
Briana Davis headlined the bench with 5-of-8 shooting on the floor and 4-of-7 from downtown. The junior out of Lufkin, Texas, found the hot stroke with 15 minutes played in her final outing of the campaign.
Other noticeable stats were the team's 17 assists and 11 steals.
Courtnee Locke led with seven and
Mckayla Washington dished six. Locke scored all four of her points at the free throw line in six tries.
DCC garnered 39 rebounds, but had 20 offensive which led to a 24-11 advantage on second chance points. The Crusaders were able to get out and run more with a 24-19 edge on fastbreak points. This included 10 times in the first and third quarters.
One area Carolina Christian did well in was points off turnovers, 34-24. The second and fourth quarters were where the opposition made strides in, while DCC was great in the third, 12-6.
It was an even contest throughout, as the Crusaders led 19-18 after one quarter. The lead flipped at intermission, with the Centurions going up a point at intermission. Things remained that way as both teams scored 20 points in the third, and then the fourth was when things went the opponent's way down the stretch. Both sides scored at least 18 points in all quarters, with the first being the only one neither cracked 20.
This is also the first time this season, DCC scored at least 80 points and dropped the result.
Carolina Christian scored the first four points and jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Salinas had the next four points and Rivers gave the Crusaders their first lead on a steal and layup. DCC had forced three straight turnovers that led to points and Rivers made a block and got the ball to go up for a quick layup and open a 12-7 lead four and a half minutes into action. At 3:40, a layup by Davis pushed the Crusaders to their greatest lead of 12 (19-7). The last 11 points went to the Centurions, including five in the final minute.
After starting the second quarter with allowing the visitors to gain a two-point lead, Covington split at the free throw line and then had a jumper to lift DCC back on top. Rivers had a tip-in and Salinas added a jumper before another Rivers basket inside opened the Crusaders lead back to seven (28-21) with six and a half before halftime. A trey by Emya Bass cut the margin to 28-26 a minute later, and things were tight most of the ay. DCC did get a boost with in the later minutes of the quarter, as Davis had a couple triples highlight her 11-point half. Up five, Kayla Mosquera and Amouya Williams knotted things with a trey and steal that went for a layup on the breakaway. There was a lot of scoring in the final minutes, as DCC's
Carmen Rosales nailed a trey with a minute to lift her team up 43-42. Carolina Christian had the final shot with 11 seconds, as Lexius Houzer sent her team into the break in front 44-43.
It was a tail of two phases in the third quarter with the Crusaders building an eight-point lead on that had a 7-0 run thanks to a couple fastbreak layups.
Naiya Brown got a steal and layup to make it a six-point lead, and Salinas capped the run with a jumper on an offensive rebound to make it 58-50 and just under the halfway point of the third. The Centurions countered with seven points to make it a one-point difference and would end up scoring in the closing seconds to take a 64-63 lead into the last quarter.
The fourth quarter was the only time there was not a tie or lead gained by either side, as Carolina Christian held off the Crusaders from retaking the lead and eventually spreading out the gap to 10 points (84-74) with 5:27 left. Before that juncture, DCC had cut the margin to one on three occasions, as Covington, Leia Twin, and a three by Davis all countered Centurion shots. Rivers had a jumper and a turnover led to Washington getting a quick basket with 4:20 left and shrinking the deficit to six. The opponents had an answer and the score never tightened closer with the Carolina Christian lead expanding back to double-digits.
The No. 6 Seed Centurions moved to 12-3 overall and were able to finish 2-1 this week with wins over NCCAA DII Top 10 Ranked Schools Arlington Baptist University and DCC. They also gave tournament winners, Champion Christian, a competitive game.
The Crusaders finish their season with a 24-11 record, which sets records for the program in most wins and win percentage. In two seasons at Dallas Christian College,
Larry Tidwell won 39 games and delivered a winning record in consecutive seasons, which also is likely a first for the program. After winning 15 games a season ago, it was the first winning season since 2004-05. Not to mention, that the Crusaders won seven straight games to open the year, including defeating NCAA Division III University of St. Thomas and NAIA Texas A&M-Texarkana on the road. The Crusaders would go onto win nine of the first 10 games that included winning the "DCC Thanksgiving Classic."
Coach Tidwell developed a winning culture that was unprecedented at DCC, with his team ranked in the top 10 power rankings every release this year. The team was ranked as high as fourth. The Crusaders also were a top-six team in the NCCAA Division II Power Ratings.
He arrived at DCC and played his first semester with six players. To-date, he was able to bring in 21 players, in-which 20 saw time on the floor. In two of the three tournament games this week, he played 13.
Coach Tidwell announced he was retiring at the end of this season, so Friday's game will be the last time to step on the floor as a head coach. The DCC community has admired what Coach Tidwell brought to the institution, and pray for his family and future endeavors as this chapter closes.
"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."
