PREVIEW: Men's Basketball at Schreiner (1/27) | Trinity (1/28)
(Schreiner University)
(Trinity University)
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OPENING TIP
The University of Dallas men's basketball team plays on the road this weekend against familiar foes. With Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) action halfway done, the schedule flips venues and goes in reverse order. Dallas will play at Schreiner University on Friday around 7:30 p.m. and Trinity University on Saturday around 6 p.m.
The Crusaders are 6-10 overall and coming off their first SCAC win of the season last Sunday against Trinity University. That ended a six-game slide against conference foes this year and 12 conference games dating back to last year. This season UD is 1-6 in league games.
UD NOTES
- Darrius Colvin (Waco, Texas) enters the slate of games with the highest scoring on the team at 208 points and 13.0 points-per-game (ppg). The guard finished with nine the other day to snap a six-game streak of double figure scoring performances.
- Michael Sarrat (Colleyville, Texas) is the other player just above 200 points with 201 and 12.6 ppg. His 28 made three-pointers led the squad.
- Prince Giadolor (Rockwall, Texas) completes a trio of players averaging double figures in scoring with 12.1 points.
- Tom Kaiser (Nashville, Tenn.) remains atop in the SCAC and 2nd in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) for field goal percentage (72.5%). Kaiser is averaging 9.9 points overall. His 21 blocks rank 3rd in the SCAC.
- Colvin continues to be the leading rebounder with 109, which is 10 higher than his rookie season. He has 199 currently. His 13 blocks remained tied for personal best and is only player besides the team leader, Kaiser, with double-digits.
- Lorenzo Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) ranks third in the conference for assists (72) and steals (35). Since the calendar flipped to 2017, Gonzalez has achieved at least three steals in six-of-eight contests. This past weekend, the point guard entered with exactly 100 steals in his career.
- He also got the offensive production going on Sunday's win, tallying a career-high 21 points. His previous season-best this year was 12 points done twice. It was his 5th game to score double figures.
- As a team, UD is second in steals with 135 and 8.4 per contest. The team's assist average is 15.8 (2nd in SCAC), but total of 268 is third behind Southwestern University and Centenary College tied 285. Dallas has played two fewer games than both programs.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
(Schreiner University)
The Mountaineers have won their last three games and are near the top of the SCAC standings with a 5-1 record. Schreiner slots in second place behind Colorado College who is 6-1. The Mountaineers were the squad to blemish CC's unbeaten conference mark on Sunday with a two-point victory (56-54). Schreiner is 8-9 overall and 4-2 at home this season.
Both of the Crusaders' next opponents are within top three in free throw percentage for SCAC, with Schreiner completing the group at 72.3 percent. Keenan Gumbs headlines the offense with 214 points (12.6 ppg). Jared Thompson is averaging 12.2 points and Wes Miller completes the trio on the campaign averaging double-digits with 10.4. Blake Kelley is averaging 13.5 ppg in league games. He is just shy of the 10.0 ppg mark with a 9.8-clip. Kelley does lead the squad in rebounds with 97. As a team, Schreiner is outdoing the opposition on the boards 646-561. Four other players (Thompson, Miller, Phillip Kee, and Paul Wells) have garnered at least 65 boards. Nathan Ribbons has 50 assists and Gumbs follows with 49.
Dallas fell last Friday to the Mountaineers 81-75. Schreiner made 10 extra free throws (19-24) compared to UD and used a 44-36 second half to nip a two-point deficit at the break. The Crusaders were led by Colvin with career-highs in points (25) and field goals made (9). He also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Sarrat contributed 12 points. Schreiner was led by Gumbs and Kelley with 17 points apiece. Miller scored 15 and Kee tossed in 13. Gumbs (6) and Thompson (5) combined for 11 of the team's 19 assists.
Last year at Kerrville, the Crusaders dropped a 73-70 decision. Kaiser led the team with 18 points, including a 10-for-12 effort at the line. Sarrat had 16 points and Gonzalez chipped in 15. Thompson had 21 points and Kelley had 11.
(Trinity University)
The Tigers are 7-10 overall this season and 2-4 in the SCAC. They have lost three straight games, including the two last weekend at Colorado College (74-63) and Dallas (83-70). That concluded a 1-3 road trip. Trinity is 4-3 at home.
The Tigers are 2nd in the league from the free throw line at 73 percent. Danny Rivara paces the offense with 224 points and is averaging 14. Matt Jones has 11.6 ppg, and Jayden Holden rounds out top three scorers with at least 16 appearances at 9.4 ppg. Rivara leads the squad on the boards with 122 and has 16 blocks. Jones has 78 assists and 36 steals.
On Sunday, Dallas used a 13-point (42-29) difference in the first half to lift the team to its first conference victory. Gonzalez notched a career-high 21 points and was perfect from behind the three-point arc (3-3) and free throw line (10-10). Sarrat followed with 17 points, Giadolor had 15, and Colvin added nine to go with a team-high 11 rebounds. Trinity was led by Jones with 21 points and Holden scored 15.
Last year at Trinity, the Crusaders won for the first time since January 11, 1992, in an 80-77 result. Kaiser and Sarrat both had double figure scoring performances with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Gonzalez and Sarrat each snatched seven boards and combined for eight assists with Gonzalez dishing five. Trinity's Holden posted 15 points.
UP NEXT
Dallas returns home after this for another SCAC weekend in the Maher Center. The Crusaders host Austin College on February 3 around 7:30 p.m. and Centenary College on Feb. 5 around 2 p.m. Each game will be after the women's basketball tip.