PREVIEW: Men's Basketball at Southwestern University (2/10) | Texas Lutheran (2/11)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(Southwestern University
(Texas Lutheran University)
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THE LEAD
The University of Dallas men's basketball team plays its final regular season road trip at Southwestern University and Texas Lutheran University on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Tip-off against the Pirates is around 7:30 p.m. and Saturday's evening game will be around 6. Both games follow the women's basketball games.
Dallas holds a 7-13 record overall and is tied with Austin College at 2-9 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) standings for 7th place. The Crusaders moved even after an 86-69 victory last Friday against the Austin College. However, a setback on Sunday to Centenary College, 82-69, moved UD back two games from the 6th and final seed that qualifies for the conference tournament in Georgetown, Texas, February 24-26.
UD NOTES
- Michael Sarrat (Colleyville, Texas) eclipsed 1,000 career points this past outing and became the 15th player in the program to achieve the feat. He is averaging 12.8 points on the squad and hit the milestone on a three-pointer. He has a team-high 30 from beyond the arc.
- Darrius Colvin (Waco, Texas) moved back ahead on the team for scoring average (13.2 points). He tied a career-high 25 points in the win versus Austin College. Colvin is also the team leader in rebounds (135) and second in blocked shots (14).
- Prince Giadolor (Rockwall, Texas) has logged 12.1 points-per-game (ppg). He combined for 31 points on the home stand and shot 7-of-12 from the field both contests. Giadolor is second on the squad with 74 assists.
- Tom Kaiser (Nashville, Tenn.) has exactly 200 points to round out the quartet of players to eclipse that mark and average double figures on the season (10.0). His70.5 percent shooting from the floor ranks atop the SCAC and 27 blocked shots lead the team (3rd SCAC).
- Lorenzo Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) has made his past 36 consecutive free throws over six games. The point guard has been on a roll breaking double-digits in points the past five games and increased his scoring average on the year to 9. Against SCAC opponents, Gonzalez is averaging a 10.7-clip.
UD SEASON STATS
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
(Southwestern University)
The Pirates enter 11-11 and 6-5 against conference foes. Having dropped the past two games in a row, the Pirates are looking to rebound with the final two home games before hosting the conference tournament. Southwestern fell at first place Schreiner University last Saturday by two points (71-69). The Pirates are 4-5 at home and sit in 4th place two games behind Colorado College and Texas Lutheran.
Ryan Ogden leads a quartet of double-digit scorers with 16.0 ppg. Zach Whitlock (13.4), Chris Molina (12.7), Ben Stiver (12.0) round out the unit. Ogden and Whitlock crack the top five in the league for rebounding average respectively at 7.6 and 7.4-clips. Stiver is the top three-point field goal percent shooter (49.1) in the conference. Molina has dished the most assists on the squad with 64 and Whitlock is one block higher than UD's Kaiser for 2nd in the SCAC with 28.
Dallas dropped the previous meeting to them at the Maher Center, 85-73. An 11-point second half (52-41) was the difference. Whitlock and Stiver each posted 22 points to lead the offense. Stiver was perfect from the field (7-7) including six trifectas. Giadolor and Colvin led the Crusaders offensively with 17 and 16. Sarrat tossed in 12.
Last year at Georgetown, the Crusaders were defeated 74-58. Giadolor had a team-high 15 points and Gonzalez added 11. Kaiser scored eight points while grabbing 13 boards. Molina notched 10 points for SU.
(Texas Lutheran University)
The Bulldogs are 14-8 and 8-3 in the SCAC. They have won the past two games to remain even for 2nd place in the standings with Colorado College. TLU is a game behind Schreiner and will have a three-game home stand to conclude the regular season. It starts with the Tigers on Friday in a matchup that will break up the head-to-head deadlock on the rankings. The Bulldogs last defeated Trinity University 67-63.
Texas Lutheran is paced by Sterling Holmes with 16.2 ppg (4th SCAC). He is also shooting 42.4 percent from three (4th SCAC). Zach Behr is almost identical in scoring average with 16 points, while Jordan Kouremetis is averaging 13.7. Matthew Gillette is the top rebounder averaging 6.1, while Behr and Holmes average 5.3 and 5.1-clips, respectively. The top three scorers are also the top three in passing led by Behr (52), Holmes (47), and Kouremetis (45) with at least 40.
In Irving, Dallas built and early advantage in the first half of 41-34. However, the Bulldogs outscored UD in the second 43-29 to win 77-70. Colvin led the home team with 15 points. Kaiser posted 14 points and a team-leading seven rebounds. Gonzalez chipped in 12 and Giadolor managed 11. TLU was led by Matt Perry's six-for-six field goals from long distant (18 points). Holmes and Harris Jowell each netted 12 points.
A year ago in Seguin, the Crusaders nearly took down the eventual regular season and tournament champions on their home court. In a game that had seven ties and 10 lead changes, the final one occurred as Behr scored with five seconds remaining for the game winner. UD was led by Kaiser's double-double of 15 points and boards. Sarrat, Gonzalez, and Giadolor all scored 12, and Colvin added 11. TLU's Holmes led with a game-high of 21.
UP NEXT
Dallas takes a break from conference play on Feb. 14 versus Arlington Baptist College. The 7:30 p.m. tip begins a three-game home stand to conclude the regular season.