Rhodes College (TN) outduels Men’s Basketball, 86-74, despite Bruffey’s game-high 18-points for Crusaders and 16-points from Stephens
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas men's basketball team (3-12, 1-5 SCAC) was defeated 86-74 by Rhodes College (Tenn.) on Friday evening at the Maher Athletic Center, after the Crusaders could muster only 30-percent (9-of-30) shooting from the field in the second half.
It was a topsy-turvy first-half with the two teams knotted on the scoreboard a combined six different times.
Rhodes (10-5, 5-1 SCAC) boasted the largest lead of the first half, a six-point (11-5) margin at the 14:10 mark.
On the ensuing possession for Dallas, 5-foot-9 junior guard Drew Assinesi (Pasadena, Calif./La Salle H.S.) drilled a 3-pointer to hault Rhodes' momentum for the time being. Shortly thereafter, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Joe Stephens (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound H.S.) netted a trifecta for the Crusaders which leveled the score, 11-11.
Assinesi totalled seven-points on the game, going 2-of-6 from the field, 1-of-3 from distance and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line. He also notched five rebounds, six assists and a steal in 36-minutes of game action.
Meanwhile, Stephens tallied 16-points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field, a 3-of-4 effort from 3-point range and a 4-of-4 night from the charity stripe. Additionally, he accumulated two offensive rebounds, three assists and a steal in 34-minutes of play.
Entering halftime, Rhodes had a 39-47 advantage over Dallas. Separated by just a field goal, the Lynx posted a mark of 48.4-percent (15-of-31) in the first half, as opposed to Dallas' 50-percent (14-of-28) shooting from the field.
The Lynx went on a 6-0 run to open the second half, but the Crusaders promptly answered with back-to-back 3-pointers. 6-foot-5 junior forward Tanner Bruffey (Lubbock, Texas/Home School) put home the latter, which trimmed the Dallas deficit to four-points (47-43) at the 15:36 mark.
The only other Crusader to enter double-figure scoring, Bruffey contributed a game-high 18-points on 6-of-16 shooting from the field and a 4-of-10 mark from 3-point range, while sinking both his free-throw attempts. He also tallied five rebounds (two offensive), a block and two steals in 33-minutes of work.
Unfortunately for Dallas, both teams' shooting-percentages began trending in oppoosite directions.
In the second-half from the field, Rhodes netted 56-percent (14-of-25), while Dallas struggled at a clip of 30-percent (9-of-30).
With 2:04 remaining in regulation, Rhodes staked claim on a game-high 17 point, 80-63 lead.
Foul tactics and a defensive-press helped Dallas climb to within nine-points (83-74) with 25-seconds to go, but Rhodes emerged victorious to the tune of a 12 point, 86-74 victory.
Six of Rhodes' players finished in double-figure scoring, while the Lynx held a 42-27 advantage in the rebounding department.
Next opponent:
Dallas will take to the hardwood on Sunday, Jan. 15, in a 3 p.m. contest versus SCAC foe Millsaps College (Miss.) at the Maher Athletic Center.
The game will be streamed live online via collegetvticket.com, and in-game updates will be provided on Facebook (UDallasAthletics) and Twitter (UDallasSports).
