GAME PREVIEW: Dallas at Schreiner (2/13) | Trinity (2/14)

(Photo Graphic courtesy of Hannah Miller)

MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE

(2/14 @ 6 PM at Trinity University)

Livestats, Video (Livestream)

OPENING TIP

The University of Dallas men's basketball team (14-7, 5-6 SCAC) returns to the hardwood for the last road trip on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14 at Schreiner University (11-11, 4-7 SCAC) and Trinity University (2-20, 1-10 SCAC). The start times are at 8 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.

Dallas won consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference affairs last weekend for the first time all year and second time on the campaign.

The recent winning surge, which includes a span of four triumphs out of the past five, has propelled the Crusaders on an uptick towards the middle of the league standings. Entering the weekend Dallas sits in fifth place just ahead of SU by a game and Trinity ranks in the bottom of the league standings.

MOST RECENT ACTION

Dallas had a huge boost last time on the court with huge victories over a pair of squads ranked in the top half of the SCAC rankings. Each win occurred at the Maher Athletic Center, beginning with a win over the first place team at the time, Centenary College of Louisiana (87-84, OT). The next evening, Colorado College (65-59) would be defeated by the Navy and White.

In the overtime thriller against the Gents, sophomore Lorenzo Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) drained a trifecta to tie the contest and complete a 13-4 run in the final 2:29 of regulation. All of the three-pointers attempted by the home squad would be put up in the same amount of possessions with UD connecting on each of them.

Senior Aaron Wyatt (Frisco, Texas), who hit the first three in that trio of critical baskets, would score 10 points in the second stanza and finished with a team-best 16. A quartet of Crusaders, all within the starting five, boasted double figure performances led by Wyatt. Contributing with him included: senior Mark Promberger (Phoenix, Ariz.), sophomore Michael Sarrat (Colleyville, Texas), at 14 apiece and senior Kym Malone (Richardson, Texas) with 10.

Wyatt and Promberger enjoyed clinching double-doubles with a team-high 11 rebounds.

On Saturday, the Crusaders built a 10-point edge versus Colorado College. The Tigers were able to improve in the next half with a 33-29 difference, but was still not enough. Dallas outshot CC 47.9-percent to 44.2-percent from the floor.

Sarrat led UD with 13 points and senior Blaine Blackburn (Midlothian, Texas) and Malone chipped in 11 each. Malone maintained his spot on the leaderboard with a compiled 15 assists. The point guard dished out just below his season best at nine that was marked in an 87-77 decision against Southwestern.

DALLAS QUICK NOTES

• Wyatt leads the squad with 12.1 points-per-game (ppg) and Sarrat is right behind also averaging double figures in scoring at 12.0 ppg. Sarrat is also ranking third in league in three-points made per game, with 45 total finding the bottom of the net. His 2.1 clip a game is tied second in SCAC.

• Malone is right under at 9.9 ppg against SCAC foes. The senior has also guided the SCAC in the past three weeks with best totals for assists going to him after posting 89 a day. He also is third overall amongst the conference with 30 steals.

• UD is 3-0 in overtime this season, and the extra basketball last Friday with Centenary was the first time versus a SCAC foe this year. The win also lifted the Crusaders beyond their overall amount of wins from the 2013-14 campaign.

• The Navy and White rank near the top of the conference in several offensive scoring offenses and defenses. The highest three-point field goal percentage is Dallas with 38.4-percent.  

• Dallas has limited opponents to 6.6 ppg and ranks the best in scoring defense.

• On next Saturday, Feb. 21, five seniors of the Dallas men's basketball team will be recognized prior to its contest against Austin College for "senior day."  

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS

Schreiner has dropped the past five games and went 0-2 last weekend at Texas Lutheran University (80-77) and at Southwestern University (79-72). A quartet of the setbacks has been decided by single digits. SU is 4-4 at home this season.

The Mountaineers own a +4.7 rebounding edge, pulling down 35 a contest compared to giving up 30 per affair. SU is individually led by Stevan Guerrero and Wes Miller with 11.1 ppg and 10.4 ppg, respectively. Guerrero is also tops on the squad with 119 rebounds, and lone player over the triple-digit mark. Christian Pena is just under the double figure ppg category at a 9.8 reflection.

Dallas has gone 1-2 in the series versus the Mountaineers dating back to Friday's host team joining the SCAC that year. The contest the win occurred in was at Irving, Texas.

In the earlier contest this year, the Crusaders dropped a 64-61 matchup in the Maher Athletic Center versus Schreiner.

After staking a five-point edge, Dallas was outscored in the second half by eight and could not halt Schreiner's momentum. Three players for UD claimed double-digit scoring performances with Malone and Sarrat at 12 each, and 11 from the bench in Gonzalez.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Trinity has fallen in four-straight contests, all occurring on the past road trip for the Maroon and White. The most recent games were setbacks at Southwestern (60-54) and Texas Lutheran (81-67). The Tigers are 2-6 at home and 1-10 in matchups decided by 10 points or less.

Two players are averaging double-digits in ppg to pace TU's offense, with A.J. Pulliam displaying 14.0 and Matt Selling 11.6. Pulliam is also shooting 48.6-percent from beyond the three-point line. Selling is ahead on the squad with 89 boards.

As a team, Trinity leads the SCAC in assists with 318 and 14.5 per contest.

Last time this season the teams met on the hardwood, Dallas ended a 23-game losing streak with a 67-53 final at Maher Athletic Center. UD took advantage of a 40-21 outburst over the Tigers at the break, and withstood a second half rally. At the time it was the Crusaders' first conference triumph on the season.

Sarrat and Promberger were the top scorers for the Navy and White with 15 and 11 points, respectively. Promberger added a team-high seven rebounds. 15 players saw time on the court in the game.

Nik Oakes and Aaron Knopp led TU with 11 and 10 points.

UP NEXT

Dallas will be at home for its last non-conference opponent on Thursday, Feb. 19 against Arlington Baptist College. Tip-off slated at 7:30 p.m. after the women's basketball game.

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