Cedar Valley Captures DAC Championship
DALLAS – Dallas College Cedar Valley women's basketball team won the Dallas Athletic Conference regular season championship Thursday night with a 58-54 win at Dallas College Richland.
The 10th-ranked Suns (12-9, 4-0 DAC) won their ninth straight game, and finished the conference schedule unbeaten. It is Cedar Valley's fourth DAC title in the past five years under head coach Latasha Keith and the sixth in program history. The Suns shared the league championship with Dallas College Mountain View in 2022-23.
Thamerin Balthazar scored 19 points, and Tynia Minnitt had 18 points, six rebounds and four steals. Minnitt was 7 for 8 from the free throw line, and Balthazar went 6 for 11.
Minnitt hit a driving layup in the closing seconds of the first half to give the Suns a 29-18 lead at the break. The Suns outscored the Thunderducks 14-5 in the second quarter.
Ranked 13th in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III poll, Richland (8-10, 1-2) stormed back to tie the game at 33-33 on a layup by Sanaa Darensberg with 4:26 to go in the third quarter. Kiana Thorntorn's three-pointer on the next possession put the Thunderducks ahead by one. Karys Oubre knocked down a triple with 2:46 to go in the quarter to put the Suns up 43-39. Balthazar canned a 3 to extend the lead to six before Thornton responded with a second triple of her own.
Richland outscored Cedar Valley 25-19 in the third quarter. The Suns led 48-43 entering the fourth period.
Cedar Valley stretched its lead to seven in the final quarter before Thornton cut to the basket and scored, and Darensberg drained a 3 to pull Richland within two. Balthazar hit a pull-up jumper at the free throw line to make it 55-51 with 4:26 left on the clock.
With 45.5 seconds remaining, Aspen Hicks pulled down a rebound on the defensive end, was fouled and sank two free throws to pull the Thunderducks within one. Minnitt split a pair at the line with 29.8 seconds left to keep Cedar Valley in front by two. Following a Richland turnover, Minnitt hit two more free throws to give the Suns a four-point lead with 19.4 seconds to play, and the lead held up.
Oubre finished with five points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, and Breanna Sharp had six points, a block and a steal for the Suns. Balthazar hit three triples. Thornton and Darensberg each scored 16 points for the Thunderducks.
Cedar Valley improved to 6-4 on the road. The Suns' nine-game win streak dates back to Jan. 14.