Crusaders Win Streak Snapped at Texas Lutheran
SEGUIN, Texas – Two teams with the longest winning streaks (4) in conference play met on Friday night at Memorial Gymnasium, and it was the home Texas Lutheran University team that kept its intact behind an impressive 12 made three-pointers that included a buzzer-beater from half-court in the first half to sink the University of Dallas men's basketball team 79-60.
Dallas (6-9, 4-3 SCAC) snapped a five-game overall win-streak and shot below 40 percent for the game (38.9 percent), which was the first time since its last setback in 2018 against Austin College. The Crusaders kept up throughout most of the first half, but TLU () collected 19 of the final 27 points in the last 7:23 minutes to boast a double-digit halftime advantage that would be too difficult for the recently hot Crusaders to overcome.
After allowing the first five points, John Russell (Bossier City, La.) got UD on the scoreboard with a layup and put in the go-ahead layup three minutes in to cap a 6-0 run and give the team its only lead of the game.
TLU's Harris Jowell sank the first trey for the black and gold for the other lead change in the game. The Crusaders knotted the score at 8-8 on a basket by Dustin Mathis (Fort Worth, Texas), who led the team with 14 points on the night. Otherwise, Dallas could not bring the score any closer than a pair the rest of the way. For the next several minutes, the Crusaders kept a tight margin. Even after a three-pointer by Jacob Kouremetis to extend the Bulldog's largest lead of the game at that time to seven (20-13), the Crusaders responded with five points on a Ben Norton (Louisville, Ky.) layup and Mathis triple to make it a two-point game.
Norton's layup at 7:41 left in the first cut the score to 22-20, but the Bulldogs had 10 of the next 14 points, and UD did not have another field goal until 2:52 on a Russell layup.
Jackson Willoughby scored a layup to create a 10-point differential at 34-24 and Jowell got a dunk to lead into the final two minutes. Joshua Nunn (St. Louis, Mo.) brought the gap back to 10, but the Bulldogs surged to a 42-28 edge at intermission.
Kourmetis followed a Dallas miss with seven seconds and carried the momentum for the Bulldogs into the break with a buzzer-beater three at the midcourt line.
He finished with a game-high 17 points behind 5-of-9 field goal shooting, 4-of-7 three-point field goal shooting, and 3-of-4 at the free throw line.
Dallas could not slice into the gap during the second half and were topped for the first time in 2019. The Crusaders went 21-for-54 on the floor and struggled with just four made three-pointers. They did shoot a strong 14-for-17 at the free throw line, which included the starters combining for 9-of-10.
Mathis drained a trio of UD's three-pointers. Nunn contributed 11 points and knocked in all four of his free throws. He also dished three assists. Russell tallied 10 points for his first double-digit scoring game since the league opener at Centenary College.
Dallas did outscore the Bulldogs in the paint 32-28 and were slightly edged in second chance points by one. While the guests only committed one additional turnover (15-14), TLU made sure to benefit on a 30-11 difference in points off turnovers.
The Bulldogs shot 48.4 percent overall and were just 5-of-7 from the free throw line. The rebounding difference slightly favored TLU 36-32.
Nathan Josephs followed Kouremetis with 16 points and a trio of trifectas. Jowell and Jackson Willoughby both tossed in 13 points. Jowell earned a double-double with 10 rebounds. TLU dished 23 assists led by Kouremetis and Jamir Mason.
UP NEXT
Dallas seeks the season sweep on Saturday at Southwestern University. First tip at 1 p.m.