Richland Women Capture First Conference Championship

LANCASTER, Texas – Dallas College Richland women's basketball team beat Dallas College Cedar Valley 79-56 on the road Thursday night to clinch the Dallas Athletic Conference championship.

The 13^th-ranked Thunderducks (15-7, 3-1 DAC) will host the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Central District Tournament next Friday and Saturday.

Seeded No. 1, Richland will meet fourth-seeded Dallas College Mountain View (10-13, 1-3) in the 12 p.m. semifinal. Cedar Valley (10-11, 2-2) will meet third-seeded Joliet Junior College (14-12) in the 2 p.m. semifinal. The championship is set for 1 p.m. next Saturday.

It was the second win over Cedar Valley this season for the Thunderducks, who outscored the Suns 44-24 in the second half, while limiting the Suns to 3-of-13 three-point shooting. Cedar Valley only attempted six free throws.

Kamryn Williams had 14 points, five rebounds and three steals, and Vivian Nwabufo added 13 points, nine boards and a block for the Suns, who shot 34 percent from the field.

Richland led by 15 in the third quarter before Cedar Valley whittled it down to 58-54 with 7:04 remaining, following a Passion Bolden steal and coast-to-coast layup. But the Thunderducks outscored the Suns 21-2 down the stretch to put it away.

It is Richland's first conference championship and the Thunderducks' first winning season.