Crusaders Face Sam Houston in Exhibition

January 2, 2024

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The University of Dallas men's basketball played an exhibition match against NCAA Division I opponent Sam Houston State University on Tuesday night.  They were defeated by the Bearcats 93-53.

Though the Bearcats jumped out to an early lead, the Crusaders kept it close for the first few minutes of the game, trailing by six after four minutes of play.  It didn't take long for Sam Houston to settle in, however, as they upped their lead to 18 points midway through the first half.

The Bearcats continued to build their lead and went into halftime with a 30-point cushion.

Sam Houston padded their lead further to start the second half, but the Crusaders battled in the final 10 minutes.  They matched the Bearcats blow-for-blow, playing to a 14-14 stalemate in the final eight minutes of the game.

The Crusaders were solid on the boards, tallying 16 offensive rebounds to the Bearcats 14, scoring 20 second chance points to the Bearcats 12 in the process.

Jamal Leftwich led Dallas with 12 points, going 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.

"It's always exciting to play against D1 guys, especially a team like Sam Houston who made a run in the NIT last year," said head coach Matt Grahn. "It's an opportunity to play against great competition at the highest level of college basketball"

Up Next

The Crusaders resume conference play this weekend, and will face host Austin College on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 2:00 pm