Crusaders Season Goes Down to the Wire vs Trinity

IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas lost their conference matchup with Trinity University 80-78 Sunday afternoon.  They finish the season with a 7-17 overall record and a 5-11 conference record.

The Crusaders came out firing in the first half, taking an early 11-4 lead at the first media timeout.  Defense was the name of the game for much of the first period, but the first five minutes in particular saw relentless pressure by the Dallas defense.  Trinity struggled to control the ball, giving it away five times inside the first three minutes alone.  When it looked as though Trinity may have finally found a foothold in the game, bringing themselves back to within four points, the Crusaders scored 10 points in the final two minutes to take an 11-point cushion into the break.  The Tigers had racked up an astonishing 15 turnovers in the half, Dallas accounting for eight steals.

Dallas maintained their grip on the game into the second half, but a 15-4 run saw the Tigers pull themselves back to within three points midway through the period.  From then on, it felt like anyone's game, though the Crusaders clung to their advantage.  Trinity finally tied the game with two minutes left on the clock after trailing for the entire game, and took their first lead of the game with 41 seconds on the clock.  The Tigers couldn't ice the game, missing two free throws in the final seconds, but Dallas couldn't tie the game with their final two possessions, giving Trinity the win.

The Crusaders were not in control of their own postseason destiny, but could have possibly made the SCAC Tournament with a win.  With the loss, their 2022 season comes to an end.

Marcus Juarez and Letrell Toussaint led all players with 18 points, Toussaint grabbing 10 rebounds to record a double-double in his final game as a Crusader.  Jai Love was right behind with 16 points, playing in his final game for UD as well.