Crusaders Outlast St. Thomas to Win Conference Opener
December 1, 2023
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas men's basketball team defeated the University of St. Thomas (TX) 81-78 in their conference opener on Friday, improving to 3-5 overall on the year.
The Crusaders were simply dominant in the first half. They wasted no time, jumping out to a 14-5 lead and were 6-of-8 from the field in the first four minutes. The Celts turned the ball over three times and were just 2-of-6 from the field in the same span as they struggled to find their footing in the opening minutes.
Dallas went on to play what was arguably the best 20 minutes of basketball they've played all season, finishing the first half going 19-of-36 from the field (52.8%) and were absolutely lights out from beyond the arc, going 8-of-16 (50%). They locked it down on defense as well, holding the number one offense in the conference and the projected number one seed to just 30 points on 30.6% shooting.
The Crusaders led by as many as 21 points and went into halftime with a 17-point lead.
The opening minutes of the second half were chaotic, as Dallas pressed to maintain control of the game and St. Thomas fought to get themselves back in it. The Celts scored nine unanswered points in four and a half minutes, though they were just 3-of-9 from the field, as the Crusaders came out ice cold and were oh for their first seven shots of the half.
Though they were not as prolific as they were in the first half, Dallas eventually found their rhythm and were a solid 11-of-24 in the second half. The Celts clawed their way back into the game almost solely on the back of Calvin Williams Jr., who dropped a staggering 27 points in the second half, accounting for over half of St. Thomas' points in the period.
Dallas had steady production top to bottom, with five of the eight players who set foot on the court hitting double-digit points.
Kelton Coleman (pictured) has quickly established himself as the go-to sixth man for the Crusaders. The freshman led the team with 18 points in 30 minutes off the bench, going 7-of-11 from the field, and has now scored at least 10 points in each of his first eight games for Dallas. He is second on the team with 14.1 PPG and a 44.7 FG%.
Johny Olmsted was 5-of-12 with 13 points on the night. He has scored 10+ points in three straight games, shooting an astonishing 62.1% from the field in that span. He is now third on the team with 12.6 PPG.
Jack Boyle notched his fifth double-double of the year with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while also picking up three blocks. He is second in the SCAC in PPG (17.9), REB/G (10.4), is first in blocks per game (2.5) and is ninth in shooting percentage (55.1%).
Up Next
The Crusaders will host Centenary College tomorrow, Dec. 2 at 4:00 pm.