Kaiser scores 45 points off 21 field goals (both records); Dallas returns to .500 on day it ties team record for points.
Kaiser scores 45 points off 21 field goals (both records); Dallas returns to .500 on day it ties team record for points.

Kaiser and Crusaders earn Scoring Records; Outrun Rhodes 136-127

IRVING, Texas – It was a day for the record books as the University of Dallas men's basketball team (5-5) edged Rhodes College (4-7) 136-127 on Monday in non-conference action.

The Crusaders tied the scoring record previously set against Arlington Baptist College on January 28, 1989. Tom Kaiser (Nashville, Tenn.) also broke an individual scoring record with 45 points (29 in 2nd half). Those headlined several other marks in the record books both for Dallas and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC).

RECORDS BROKEN

- 136 points tied the school record as mentioned above. It also set the new SCAC record, which was previously 127 by Millsaps in 1994.

- The team sank 54 made field goals to break school and SCAC record. UD's previous mark was 51 versus Hillsdale Free Will Baptist on November 11, 1989.

- Kaiser broke UD's single game scoring record (45 points) by two. The previous record was held by Shane Lungwitz vs. Rice University on December 30, 2003. Tom claimed 4th in SCAC all-time record books.

- Additionally, Kaiser's 21 made field goals set the new SCAC record (topped Eric Ochel from Sewanee in 1995 with 18). It was also a school record that topped Lungwitz's 16 in the same contest mentioned previously.

STAT NOTABLES

- This is the second time this season Dallas has eclipsed triple-digits. It is the 2nd straight year in men's basketball both teams at the Maher Center have tallied over 100. On this same date UD won 106-104 against Austin College. This is the 3rd time since 1991-92 that both teams have scored at least 100 in same game. Dallas is unbeaten in all three.

- Kaiser's career best (previously 22 vs. Curry College on Nov. 11, 2015) paced seven Crusaders in double figures. The forward notched his second consecutive double-double on the season, shot 21-of-24 from the field, and garnered team-highs in rebounds with 11 and blocked shots with three.

- Also enjoying season-highs in scoring were Darrius Colvin (Waco, Texas) and Rory MacCallum (Golden, Colo.) with 20 points apiece. Colvin's output tied a career-high against Trinity University last year on Jan. 26, 2016. Colvin added 10 boards for his 3rd double-double on the campaign. MacCallum's points from the bench counted towards a personal best.

- Rounding out the double-digit scorers were: Prince Giadolor (Rockwall, Texas) with 16, Matthew Richelsen (Medina, Minn.) with 11 points, Michael Sarrat (Colleyville, Texas) and Lorenzo Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) with 10 apiece.

- Gonzalez dished a career-high 14 assists and was three shy of the tying the single game record. Giadolor added seven, Victor Garate (Austin, Texas) had six, and Colvin added five to help UD's season-most 39 assists.

- The team shot 68.4 percent from the floor and did not attempt a single three-pointer. UD also performed its best showing at the free throw line this year going 90.3 percent (28-31).

- Dallas totaled season-highs 104 points in the paint, 50 points off turnovers, and 64 fastbreak points. The Crusaders won the battle on the boards 42-24. Turnovers were even at 29.

- Rhodes shot 45-for-86 (52.3%) in field goals, 19-for-41 (46.3%) in three-point field goals, and 18-for-22 (81.8%) at the line.

- Anesu Nyawata scored a team-high 23 points (9-14 FG). He tied Tyler Gee with five assists each. Brennan Sullivan tossed in 18 points, Gee contributed 15, and Daniel Darst and Preston Giroux added 10 apiece.

- The Lynx swiped 21 steals, dished 26 assists, and found 78 points from the bench.

HOW IT HAPPENED

This contest was predicted to be a track meet, with the Lynx averaging 109 points and opponents averaging 110 entering the afternoon. Sullivan tallied a three in eight seconds and after both squads turned the ball over, Sarrat had UD's first basket with 40 seconds gone by. Rhodes increased the lead to 6-2 on a trey by Bryce Berry on the next play, and then a layup by Gee after coming up with a steal made it 8-2 with barely a minute past.

The new record holder in points, Kaiser, earned his first ones with the next six to knot the game back at 8-all. The visitors responded with a short burst with seven-of-nine points made to get out 15-10 with three and a half minutes into the tilt. Dallas clawed back within one (15-14) as MacCallum entered from the bench and got a fastbreak layup and two free throws on consecutive UD possessions. Will McIntyre for the Lynx countered on a trifecta, but Rhodes did not score for two minutes following that.

During this span, Kaiser put down a jumper and Richelsen (playing most minutes this year in only 2nd contest) inserted a spark with the next five including an old-fashioned three-point play. That made it 21-18 but McIntyre ended the cold spell with 13 minutes until intermission on another trey.

The Crusaders gained momentum from there and rattled eight straight points. This eventually turned into a 12-2 run that lifted the home team to its first double-digit advantage at the time, 33-23. Rhodes utilized the long range shots to remain close; tightening the gap to as narrow at six (35-29) with 8:48 remaining in the frame.

Still, it was the home team that benefitted from 73 percent (27-37) field goal shooting in the opening stanza and led to a 71-51 halftime lead. The Navy and White outscored the opposition 36-22 with under nine minutes in the first. Dallas also went 17-for-19 at the charity stripe compared to 1-for-2 on the guests' side. The Lynx were whistled for 15 fouls in the opening half compared to six for UD.

Down 20, Rhodes remained persistent in the full court press as it had all game. The Crusaders managed to turn the ball over 15 times and allowed RC to snag 12 steals in that half. This helped the Lynx to a 76-65 scoring edge in the second frame.

At the start of the final 20 minutes, it appeared Dallas was in control stretching its largest lead to 25 (85-60) with four minutes past. Rhodes fired a stretch of seven straight made three-point field goals cut the deficit to 96-85 with 11:48 left. Back-to-back UD turnovers equaled made jump shots by the Lynx and suddenly it was a seven-point deficit, 96-89.

A jumper by Colvin lifted the Crusaders to the century mark and back ahead by double-digits about midway through the half. Rhodes would not go away, as Nyawata made it a one possession game with a three-pointer and 7:50 left. A minute and a half later and Price Dalton lifted the Lynx ahead for the first time since the first half, 107-106, with six and a half remaining.

The teams traded baskets for leads until the star of game, Kaiser, slammed a breakaway dunk to spark a 6-0 run. Sarrat had a steal on the next play and Gonzalez finished the fast break with Kaiser passing it to the point guard. Colvin's layup capped that run, but Berry cut the lead back to two on a trifecta with five minutes to go.

Kaiser answered by starting an 8-2 scoring swing that was punctuated by a Colvin dunk for his second field goal in a row. A steal by the sophomore led to his thunderous finish at 3:48. Rhodes got a pair of free throws from Sullivan to close the gap at six (122-116), but Dallas turned in the next six points that included all four free throws made. Kaiser etched the final four points, including the last two at the line, and had a big block that kept the edge at 126-116 before his two makes.

UD locked up the victory hitting its final six shots, including all four attempts in free throws. The Lynx did pull within five (132-127) in the last 25 seconds, but Kaiser had his record-breaking layup and then Gonzalez tied the team points record with a pair of free throws to complete the high scoring contest.

UP NEXT

Dallas hosts its first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) foe at the Maher Center this season when Southwestern University visits January 6. Tip-off slated for around 7:30 p.m. after the women's basketball game.