DALLAS, TX-- Dallas Christian College women's basketball used a strong second-half performance and balanced offensive attack to secure a 79-65 victory over Ecclesia College on Saturday evening.
The Crusaders overcame a slow start offensively before finding their rhythm in the second quarter. After trailing 12-11 at the end of the opening period, Dallas Christian outscored Ecclesia 20-13 in the second quarter to take a 31-25 advantage into halftime.
Dallas Christian continued its offensive momentum coming out of the break, delivering its highest-scoring quarter of the contest with 28 points in the third period. The Crusaders shot an impressive 52.9 percent from the field during the quarter, including 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, to extend their advantage to 59-48 entering the final 10 minutes.
The Crusaders maintained control in the fourth quarter, adding 20 points while holding Ecclesia to 17 to close out the 14-point victory.
Laila Allen led Dallas Christian offensively with 14 points, shooting 4-of-10 from the field and connecting on two three-pointers. Alyssa Manuel provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Denaja Gaston contributed 11 points, four rebounds and five steals.
Arezoie Gonzalez added nine points, knocking down all three of her attempts from beyond the arc. Mattie Parham finished with eight points and six rebounds, while Brooke Thomas chipped in seven points and three assists.
Dallas Christian's defensive pressure proved to be a difference-maker throughout the contest. The Crusaders forced 45 Ecclesia turnovers and converted those opportunities into 41 points off turnovers. Dallas Christian also received significant production from its reserves, with the bench contributing 33 points.
As a team, the Crusaders shot 40.7 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range, connecting on eight shots from beyond the arc. Dallas Christian also held a 33-28 advantage on the glass and recorded 17 assists.
Ecclesia was led by Kayleah Wilson with 17 points, while Kyra Bradley added 16 points.
The victory highlighted Dallas Christian's ability to generate offense through defensive pressure, capitalize on turnovers and receive contributions throughout its lineup as the Crusaders continue their 2026-27 campaign.
