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UNT Dallas

Photo Recap at LCU
79
Winner UNT Dallas UNTD 8-5, 7-4
72
Louisiana Christian LCU 1-15, 0-10
Winner
UNT Dallas UNTD
8-5, 7-4
79
Final
72
Louisiana Christian LCU
1-15, 0-10
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
UNT Dallas UNTD 12 23 17 27 79
Louisiana Christian LCU 13 27 16 16 72

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | nathanyacovissi

Anderson, Johnson fuel Trailblazers in 4th Quarter past LCU

PINEVILLE, La. – A furious run to start the fourth quarter propelled University of North Texas at Dallas women's basketball past Louisiana Christian University, 79-72, on Thursday night. The Trailblazers trailed at the end of each quarter up to that juncture, but came out the final 10 minutes blazing hot to flip a five-point deficit into a nine-point lead in three minutes with 15 straight points.
 
Ke'Liyah Anderson (Dallas, Texas) and De'Asia Johnson (Dallas, Texas) combined for 25 of the visitor's 27 fourth quarter points that sparked the rally. The Trailblazers also snatched half of their 20 steals from the game in the final 10 minutes to spark a quarter-high 11 turnovers committed by Louisiana Christian. The previous three quarters, the Wildcats combined for 16 with fewer than six per quarter.
 
This victory continues to push a season-long four games for UNT Dallas and is the second longest span for women's basketball program since 2021-22. The longest streak is six games from that campaign. The triumph boosts the team to its highest winning percentage of the year at 8-5 overall and in conference at 7-4.
 
The setback drops Louisiana Christian to 1-15 on the season and 0-10 in RRAC play, but through three quarters were giving the Trailblazers their toughest test of 2026.
 
Johnson extended her team-leading production to five games in a row and shattered a career-high 28 points. The junior forward shot 10-of-18 from the floor and was 4-of-6 from three-point range and the free throw line. Johnson notched her fourth double-double on the season and should see boosts in her top five positioning in the RRAC leaderboard.
 
Anderson boasted a personal-best 20 points thanks to her monster final quarter. Anderson tallied six field goals, a three-pointer, 7 free throws on nine attempts, and garnered five rebounds and a pair of steals. In the final quarter alone, the sophomore guard was 4-of-6 from the floor, 5-for-7 at the line, had two boards, and both steals.

Allysa Pendley (Waco, Texas) created a top scoring trio for UNTD that reached career marks in scoring. Pendley matched both point total (15) and rebounds (13) with her highest marks from December 16, 2022 Southwestern Assemblies of God (Nelson University). Pendley went 7-of-10 from the field, swatted three blocks, and picked up two assists with a steal.


 
The Trailblazers matched a season-best 21 assists with both performances coming on the road in 2026 to begin the calendar year. They also have eclipsed 20 steals in the past three outings. UNTD outrebounded the Wildcats 47-36.
 
UNT Dallas shot 48.4 percent (31-64) overall and surpassed 30 made field goals for the third time overall and second on this win streak. The team added five made three-pointers and was 12-for-19 at the free throw line.
 
LCU shot 36.6 percent (26-71) overall with 7 trifectas and 13-for-15 at the free throw line. The Wildcats were 0-for-3 in the second half from downtown.
 
A quartet from the LCU starting five eclipsed double-digits led by Kylei Leblanc's double-double 20 points and 12 rebounds. Carlea Owens followed with 19 points, while Amiyah Simpkins put down four triples and had 14 points. Maddison Carey added 10 points.
 
Both teams picked up 20 steals, as the Trailblazers committed 30 turnovers compared to LCU's 27. Teams were also nearly even a slight advantage to the Wildcats on points off turnovers, 24-23. However, that stat was skewed in favor of LCU based on 14 in the second quarter, while the Trailblazers were scoreless through 20 minutes and had 14 in the rally period. UNT Dallas boasted an 11-2 edge on second chance points and 44-28 on points in the paint. The Trailblazers' reserves also made most of the scoring from Anderson and Pendley to boast a 39-5 difference. UNTD completed an advantage on fastbreak points 22-19.
 
It was a back-and-forth start with ShanDrea Yeldell (Dallas, Texas) opening on a quick layup from the jumped tip being won and sent to Jade Myles (Dallas, Texas) on the assist. LCU responded with a triple by Simpkins to take the early lead back. Johnson dropped a trifecta on a second dime from Myles to exchange the lead to 5-3 with a minute past. Simpkins buried her second three-ball in as many attempts to push the Wildcats in front for the next three quarters. Neither side found much offense, as a trey by Simpkins stretched the modest LCU advantage to five points (11-6) with 4:16 left in the first. Pendley had a free throw for the lone UNTD score in that span and the senior's layup a minute later accounted for the guest's first field goal since a minute into action. Down five again late in the quarter, a layup by Anderson and two Johnson free throws capped the opening frame with UNTD down 13-12.
 
Midway through the second quarter saw the Wildcats roar ahead by as many as nine points (25-16) after a triple by M'Kiyiah Olivier. Pendley stopped the 9-2 LCU run with an offensive rebound and tip-in. Anderson and Johnson dialed in three-pointers to reduce the gap to three points (27-24). A layup by Myles clawed the game to a point with 3:12 before intermission. Three-pointers by LCU's Jakiya Thompson and Carey kept the Trailblazers from jumping back on top and the score was 40-35 through two.
 
UNT Dallas showed signs of takeoff in the third quarter, pulling within a point two minutes lapsed thanks to a Johnson steal and layup to make it 42-41. Later in the quarter, a couple of field goals by Owens gave the Wildcats six straight points and their largest lead of the game in the second, 52-44. The Trailblazers continued showing grit and resilience as they did not surrender a three-point make on two attempts and nipped the eight-point deficit in half by the last buzzer. It was also the first quarter, UNTD outscored the Wildcats in at 17-16, but still the Wildcats remained ahead.
 
The good fortune kept trending up in the fourth quarter, as one minute saw Anderson score a basket and Johnson tickle the twine a three 30 seconds for the first UNT Dallas lead since 5-3 about 30 minutes ago. It was all Trailblazers the rest of the way on the ensuing large run mentioned earlier. Johnson scored seven points in a row from the trey, and her double-digit scoring partner that frame, Anderson, picked a steal and got a layup. She would nail two free throws to make it a nine-point edge (65-56) with 7:44 remaining. The run was capped on an Anderson steal and pull-up jumper to cap the spark. During the final eight-point stretch of the outburst, UNTD's defense picked up five steals on as many LCU possessions to account for half the team's total steal count from 8:31 to 7:18 on the clock.
 
The Wildcats did not disappear, as they kept the game at two possessions in the remaining five minutes. They narrowed the gap to as tight as three (72-69) with 2:05 left. Myles got a steal and after a missed opportunity, Myles got another pick and Anderson completed the layup while getting fouled for an old-fashioned three-point play. Anderson was true at the line to extend the lead back to six. LCU got another basket, but the Trailblazers leading scorer Johnson was able to make the layup on an assist from Channing Beauvais (Paradise, Texas) to maintain a six-point spread. The Wildcats split at the line and who else but the Trailblazers' top scorer of the quarter, Anderson, making two free throws to cap her highest scoring game of her career.
 
Anderson's fourth quarter scoring output matched her previous career-best from her freshman season against Southwestern Christian (1/4/25).
 
UNT Dallas keeps on the road in central Louisiana with an RRAC matchup on Saturday against Louisiana State University of Alexandria. Tip-off is at 1:00 p.m.
 
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