Bruffey helps Men's Basketball force overtime, sinks game-winner, on pair of last-second shots; Dallas prevails over Millsaps College (MS), 56-55

IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas men's basketball team (4-12, 2-5 SCAC) took down Millsaps College (Miss.), 56-55 in overtime, early Sunday evening at the Maher Athletic Center thanks to late heroics -- times two -- from Tanner Bruffey. 

Trailing 50-48 to Millsaps (6-9, 1-6 SCAC) with 3:20 to go in regulation, the 6-foot-5 junior forward Bruffey (Lubbock, Texas/Home School) sent the game to overtime on a converted jumper from the top of the key with 13 seconds remaining. 

Tied 50-50 entering overtime, things began looking bleak for the Crusaders, whom were down 55-50 with 2:48 remaining in the period. 

Dallas, however, went on a 6-0 run to end the game in the final 1:31. Bruffey sank a layup at 1:03 of the extra frame, before driving for the game-winning layup with 2.6 seconds remaining to secure a 56-55 victory for the Crusaders. 

His final stat-line included a team-high 17-points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field, netting 1-of-4 from 3-point range in 40-minutes of work. 

In what can be described as the role of Robin, to Bruffey's Batman, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Joe Stephens (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound H.S.) tallied 16-points of his own. Stephens provided the assist on Bruffey's game-winner. 

To go with his three assists on the game, Stephens netted 7-of-12 from the field, including 1-of-3 from 3-point land. He also went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, while recording a block and two steals in 40-minutes of game action. 

Not to get lost in the shuffle, Drew Assinesi (Pasadena, Calif./La Salle H.S.) had quite a game for Dallas as well. The 5-foot-9 junior guard contributed eight-points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in 40-minutes on the court. 

The Majors' Taylor Meades had high-point honors, totalling 23-points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, with 4-of-8 dropping from distance. 

The Crusaders shot 38.1-percent (26-of-63) on the evening, with Millsaps netting 41.1-percent (23-of-56) from the field. 

Dallas knocked down 5-of-8 from the charity stripe, while the Majors made their only free-throw attempt. 

Each team claimed six different leads throughout the game, and bench-points proved hard to come by, as Dallas amassed four, to Millsaps' five. 

Next opponent: 

Dallas hits the road for the next two games, beginning with an 8:00 p.m. contest on Jan. 20 versus SCAC foe Oglethorpe College (Ga.) in Atlanta.