Men's Basketball Comes Up Just Short vs Whitman
November 22, 2023
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas men's basketball team lost 85-81 against Whitman College on Wednesday, slipping to 1-5 on the season.
The Crusaders came out of the gates aggressive and physical, dominating the ball in the early minutes of the game. Whitman looked shell-shocked as they struggled to deal with the pace of play and Dallas' physicality on both sides of the ball, and they turned the ball over five times in the first three minutes as a result.
Dallas had hot hands as well, going nine of their first 10 field goal attempts to take a 20-11 lead after six and half minutes. The Blues kept themselves in the game with their three-point shooting, going four of their first six attempts from beyond the arc while going 1-of-7 from inside in the same span.
The Crusaders were solid from long-range, shooting 33% in the first half, but dominated the inside, outscoring Whitman 24-8 in the pain. Though play balanced out eventually, the Crusaders took an eight-point lead into halftime on the backs of Jack Boyle and Johny Olmsted, who dropped 15 points apiece in the first half.
Whitman changed the tone of the game completely in the second half, as they ramped up their press and worked to match the Crusaders' intensity from the first half. It was a slow and steady climb, but Dallas was clearly unnerved by the pressure as they struggled to break through a revitalized Whitman defense. The Blues tied the game up after seven minutes, then took a one-point lead eight and a half minutes in.
Dallas answered back with a three-pointer by Kelton Coleman to reclaim the lead at 61-59, but the Blues took a 63-61 lead and left the Crusaders chasing for the final eight and a half minutes of the game. Dallas pulled within one point twice and were in the game all the way to the final buzzer, but couldn't overcome the deficit.
Olmsted finished with a new single game-high of 23 points, going 7-of-9 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Boyle notched another double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Up Next
The Crusaders travel to face MUW on Sunday, Nov. 26 at 1:00 pm central.