FORT WORTH -- Nobody warned that there would be a freight train, disguised as the Texas Wesleyan University women's basketball team, coming.
The University of North Texas at Dallas' previously unblemished record and an impressive start in Sooner Athletic Conference play just days earlier, was wiped out here Sunday afternoon (Nov. 21)as the host Rams stormed to a 94-49 victory over an outgunned Trailblazers squad. TWU is now 5-0 for the season and 2-0 in conference play while UNTD ended the day 6-1 and 1-1.
One could see this one coming early. By the end of the opening quarter it was 26-8 as the hosts' defense dramatically shut down the Trailblazers -- which managed to score only one more point than the number of fouls they committed in the first 10 minutes.
By game's end, in fact, Texas Wesleyan had scored 32 of its points from the charity line as UNTD committed 33 fouls. The other statistics posted by the visitors weren't much better: 27.9 percent shooting success, 15 turnovers, and they were out-rebounded, 44-26.
The game was three minutes into the second period before the Trailblazers managed to up their point production to double figures, trailing 31-11.
When your leading scorer has only six points at the half, you got the idea that this one was going to be over very early. By intermission TWU led 48-20 and the only real question was if they would gun for the century mark. By the time they had increased their margin to 70-35 at the end of the third period, it looked like a possibility. If the victors tapped the breaks much down the stretch, it didn't show as they rang up 24 points in the final 10 minutes.
For Coach
Rodney Belcher's troops, a quick rebound is necessary since on Tuesday (Nov. 23), they'll go back to work at 5 p.m., hosting SAC foe Southwestern Assemblies of God University at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship's gym.
Coach Josh Howard will also need to fashion a quick comeback strategy before Tuesday since things didn't go a great deal better for his men's team, particularily in the game's early going.
Texas Wesleyan improved it season record to 5-2 (1-1 in Sooner Conference play) with a decisive 84-67 victory in the Sid Richardson Center. The defeat drops the Trailblazers men to 2-4 and 0-2 on the season.
UNTD let the game get away in the first half as the hosts fired away at a 55.2 percent shooting clip and built a 42-27 intermission advantage. Thereafter, UNTD came alive and played the Rams even through the final half, outscore only 42-40.
Only two Trailblazers scored in double figures,
Desmond Vaughn with 12 and
Hysheam Weston with 10. Donoval Deal led the visiting rebounders with six.
Texas Wesleyan, meanwhile, had six players score 10 or more points. Peyton Sallee led the way with 18, followed by Davon Berry's 16 and Sebastian Karwoski's 13. Lamine Komara added 11 and Vydal Bradford and Kristan Lafayette had 10 each.
The Trailblazers men will return to action in the 7 p.m. finale of Tuesday's SAC doubleheader against SAGU.
