ARLINGTON, Texas - Sabria Dean went off for 30 points as Lamar University's women's basketball team crashed the homecoming festivities for the University of Texas Arlington Mavericks in a 74-57 triumph. The Cardinals are 2-0 for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
Dean came within one point shy of her career high as she went 9-of-15 from the field while also making 11-of-13 from the free throw line. Akasha Davis scored 12 points, including making a perfect eight-of-eight from the free throw line while T'Aaliyah Miner tallied 10 points. Big Red shot 45.3% from the field and collected 20 bench points, 24 points in the paint and 13 points off turnovers.
The Cardinals opened the contest with a 8-2 run with Brooklyn Mitchell contributing half of the points. Dean caught fire in the quarter with 11 points on just 5-of-6 shooting including igniting a 7-2 run following a media timeout the got Big Red ahead 17-8. Each team traded a basket and LU stayed up by nine after one at 19-10.
LU tallied 20 second quarter points including making eight free throws. A three by Taylor extended LU to their first double-digit lead of the contest. The Cardinals would only make 35.7% from the field, but it was their defense that held UTA to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting (27.3%). Dean tallied eight points with six of them coming from the free-throw line as Big Red led 39-20 at the half.
The third quarter belonged to the Mavericks who outscored LU 21-14. It started with an 8-2 surge that got them within 41-28. Davis would come alive in the third quarter scoring 10 points, including six free throws. Even though the Cardinals kept their double-digit lead at 53-41, they were outshot 42.9%-27.3%.
The Mavericks closed the gap to 55-45 with 8:18 to go in the fourth quarter. But again, LU's number three ignited another run as Dean tallied 11 points in the last 10 minutes. All the Mavericks could do was close within two minutes to go before the Cardinals snuffed out any last minute miracles.
Big Red now gets set to travel out west to Lubbock for a showdown with the Red Raiders of Texas Tech on Monday night. The tip-off will start at 6:00 p.m.
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