PREVIEW: Crusaders Enter Final Home Weekend vs. Texas Lutheran (2/8) and Schreiner (2/9)
HOW TO FOLLOW
(Multimedia Coverage)
(Texas Lutheran University): Livestats | Video
(Schreiner University): Livestats | Video
(Social Media)
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Basketball Twitter: @UDallasMBB
UD Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
UD Basketball Facebook: University of Dallas Basketball (Official)
UD Instagram: udallasathletics
UD Basketball Instagram: udallasmbb
FIRST TIP
The University of Dallas men's basketball team wraps up the 2018-19 home schedule this Friday and Saturday. Both expect to be good matchups with the top Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) team Texas Lutheran University in at 7:30 p.m. on the first night. Things conclude at the friendly confines the next day with the first meeting of the campaign with Schreiner University.
Dallas (6-6) sits at .500 in sixth place and ahold of the fifth seed at the moment (2nd place Johnson & Wales University is ineligible for the SCAC Tournament due to transitioning from NAIA). A trio of opponents: Centenary College, Southwestern University, and Schreiner all sit at seven wins. Trinity University has the remaining seed with five wins. All teams have at least three contests left on the docket, with the majority playing a pair the next two weekends.
The Crusaders fell 57-52 on Tuesday versus Centenary College in their last outing.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW FOR UD
- Dallas is led by Michael Wambsganss (Denver, Colo.) and Joshua Nunn (St. Louis, Mo.) in scoring average with 13 points and 10.3 points.
- The Crusaders have eclipsed 40 total rebounds the past five games.
- Dallas is shooting 35.0 percent in three-pointers compared to 33.6 percent by opponents in SCAC play.
SCAC CHANGE FOR CHANGE
Dallas' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be at all the University of Dallas home events this week collecting as much change as possible to donate to the annual SCAC "Change For The Better" campaign. This contest allows each SCAC member institution to collect as much change as possible from fans, parents, and students in support of a chosen charity the league is partnered with. The SCAC will be donating all proceeds to the Special Olympics.
SAAC will also be the weekend basketball games on Feb. 8 (5:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m.) and Feb. 9 (4 p.m. | 6 p.m.). The group also will attend the women's lacrosse match at 1 p.m. on the 9th.
SENIOR DAY
On Saturday prior to the Schreiner University tip-off at 6 p.m., the Crusaders will recognize Ben Norton (Louisville, Ky.) and Logan Fruhwirth (Waynesville, Ohio) for appearing in their last games at the Maher Center.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Dallas dropped its first meeting in Seguin, 79-60. Dustin Mathis (Fort Worth, Texas), Nunn, and John Russell (Bossier City, La.) tossed in 14, 11, and 10 points, respectively.
- Dallas was edged in the Maher Center last season against the Bulldogs, 68-52.
- The Crusaders are 9-10 all-time against Schreiner.
- Last year UD swept the season series against the SCAC Tournament Champions, which included a 95-83 final in Irving. Nunn and Wambsganss scored 14 and 13, while Saturday's honorary seniors chipped in big games from the bench.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
(Texas Lutheran)
- The Bulldogs carry a 14-7 overall record and 9-3 mark for the best conference mark.
- TLU has won seven of the last eight contests, including a 71-57 result at Colorado College.
- The Bulldogs are 6-5 on the road.
- A quartet of players are averaging double figures including: Nathan Josephs (12.5), Jacob Kouremetis (12.5), Harris Jowell (12.0), and Sebastian Andrade (11.7).
- Jowell leads the league in rebounding average (8.4) and third in field goal percentage (56.3).
(Schreiner)
- The Mountaineers are 11-11 overall and 7-6 in the Conference.
- SU has been surging of late with a 6-2 record over the last eight games. This includes two wins in a row with the latest a tight 79-77 result over Southwestern University.
- Schreiner is 5-8 on the road.
- Matthew Rindahl is leading the squad offensively with 14.1 points-per-game. Ellis Jones and Paul Wells follow behind at 11.4 and 10.1 respective clips.
- Rindahl is also the top rebounder on the team and third in the SCAC on the glass with 7.3 boards per game.
UP NEXT
Dallas heads to Schreiner University (2/15) and Trinity University (2/16) for the final contests of the 2018-19 regular season.