Box Score You've no doubt had them. Those difficult days that seem endless and an uphill grind from start to finish. Only the most stubborn and determined get through them with a smile on their face.
Thursday (Nov. 11) was that kind of day the University of North Texas at Dallas Lady Trailblazers experienced enroute to their 66-57 victory over Paul Quinn College. The visit to the opponents' newly decorated gym floor, with its king-size photograph of the Dallas skyline stretched from sideline to sideline, was UNTD's second win over their southern Dallas rivals this season and improved their 2021 record to 4-0.
Though the Trailblazers never trailed and led by double-digit margins on numerous occasions, it is unlikely that you'll ever find any of it archived on some highlight reel or hear it remembered as an example of clinic-style basketball. The winners' shooting percentage for the evening was only 33.3, they were far too generous with their fouls, and showed their true potential only in brief spurts.
This was grind-it-out basketball, get-the-job done, keep the record spotless by doing what needed to be done.
Which isn't to say there weren't stylish moments. The hosts were held to just 13 points in the first half, partially due to aggressive UNTD defense and partially because of poor Paul Quinn shooting. The only reason the margin of the Trailblazers' victory was so narrow was the hosts' 27-point fourth quarter that surpassed what they had managed in the entire first half (13 points).
UNTD, in fact, went into the final period with a comfortable 50-30 lead before facing a full-court defense and a barrage of three-pointers down the stretch. Even with that late flurry, however, the Trailblazers' win was never in doubt
The victory came on the heels of an earlier 86-68 win over Paul Quinn at the Kingdom Academy gymnasium.
ShanDrea Yeldell led the Trailblazers scoring with 14, followed by
Brooke Lopez's 13 and
Mykayla Dumas' 12.
The Trailblazers will put their unbeaten record on the line Saturday at 2 p.m. when they host Southwestern University at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship's Kingdom Academy gym..
