Crusaders Topple UTD in Season Opener

November 8, 2023

RICHARDSON, Texas - The University of Dallas men's basketball team opened their season with an 86-76 win against the University of Texas-Dallas on Wednesday night.

Things were tight for the first 10 minutes, but Dallas slowly took control of the game and managed to build a seven-point lead with four minutes left in the first half.  A 10-4 run in the final minutes of the half saw the Comets close the gap, but the Crusaders were able to hang on and take a 40-39 lead into halftime.

The Crusaders made a statement in the second half, rattling off 10 unanswered points in the first four minutes to put themselves firmly in the driver's seat.  They kept their foot on the gas, eventually building their lead to 18 points and didn't let it drop under double-digits until the final minute of the game.   

Dallas shot 45.3% from the field and a stellar 40% from three, going 10-of-25 from beyond the arc.  Kelton Coleman had a phenomenal debut performance, going 9-of-13 from the field to lead all players with 25 points in 25 minutes off the bench.

"It was a total team effort tonight," said head coach Matt Grahn, now in his third season at the helm of the program.  "The guys earned and deserved this win with their effort on the defensive end of the floor."

This marks the first victory for the program against UTD since the 2003-04 season, when the Crusaders defeated the Comets 79-60 as part of a 7-1 run to open the season.

Up Next

The Crusaders will host Howard Payne University in their home opener this Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3:00 pm.