Love and Toussaint Stellar in Win vs Webster

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The University of Dallas men's basketball team defeated Webster University in this evenings non-conference matchup.  They beat the Gorlocks 76-67 on their home court in the first game of the Webster University Classic.

The Crusaders jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead, but it was anybody's game in the first half.  Dallas led for nearly the entire first half, but never led by more than seven points.  The Gorlocks were finally able to close the gap and take a 23-22 with just under seven minutes left, before Letrell Toussaint put the Crusaders back in the lead with a pair of free throws.  it was back and forth for the remainder of the half, with the Crusaders taking a slim 35-34 advantage into the halftime break, a single free throw the only thing separating the two teams.

A nine point run early in the second half for the Gorlocks seemed to shift things in their favor as they took a 47-43 lead, but Dallas came back to tie it up at 52-52 with 11:35 still on the clock.  The teams traded blows for a time, with it still being just a two possession game with three and half to play.  Jai Love put Dallas up 72-65 with just over three minutes left, sparking some urgency in the Worlocks to defend their home court.  Webster went ice cold, however, going one for their last eight attempts from the field.  The Crusaders came up clutch in that stretch, snagging six defensive rebounds in the final three minutes.  They sank four free throws to extend their lead to 76-67 and seal the win.  as a team, it was the Crusaders best shooting performance since 2019, posting a 54.5 shooting percentage from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc.

Jai Love led all players in scoring with 20 points, going 8-14 from the field and 3-5 from the line.  It was his sixth career 20 point game for the Crusaders.  Letrell Toussaint picked up his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 15 rebounds, 13 of which were defensive boards.  Louis Christifano Jr. had 14 points, Marcus Juarez had 10, and Jack Boyle added 13 crucial points off the bench.

Up Next

The Crusaders are back at it tomorrow afternoon.  They will play Westminster College at 1:00 p.m.