Crusaders Beaten At The Buzzer by TLU
February 3, 2024
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas men's basketball team lost their conference matchup against Texas Lutheran 75-74 on Saturday, falling to 9-13 overall on the year and 6-8 in conference play.
Neither team was at their best in the first half, but the Crusaders held the edge for much of the first period. The Bulldogs were abysmal from the field in the first 10 minutes, shooting just 25% as they fell behind early to Dallas. The Crusaders were a bit better, shooting 35% from the field in that same span and had a nine-point lead midway through the half to show for it.
The Crusaders led by as many as 12 points, but went just 2-of-11 from the field in the final seven minutes, allowing TLU to claw their way back in the game. Dallas scrapped to head into halftime with a narrow two-point lead.
From there, it was a shoot-out as both offenses were firing on all cylinders. The Bulldogs were 2-of-4 and the Crusaders were 5-of-5 from the field in just the first three minutes of the second half. It was a back and forth battle that saw the lead change hands three times and the game tied up four times in the second half.
In the end, an untimely foul with less than a second on the clock sent TLU's Jordan Dunn to the line for two shots. He buried them both, putting the Bulldogs ahead 75-74, and the Crusaders couldn't get a play off in time for their rebuttal as TLU snatched a win from the jaws of defeat.
Dallas shot 53% from the field (16-of-30) and 50% (5-of-10) from three in the second half, and were 5-of-9 from the free throw line. TLU shot 48.5% (16-of-33) from the field and 63.6% (7-of-11) from three, and were 6-of-8 from the free throw line.
Johny Olmsted led the team with 23 points, matching his personal best for the third time this season, and set a new personal best with eight field goals in the game (8-of-12 FG, 3-of-4 3PT).
The Crusaders honored their 2024 senior class prior to the start of the game: Jack Boyle, Marcus Juarez, Zac Olmsted, and Louis Christifano Jr.
Up Next
The Crusaders will host Belhaven in their final home game of the season on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 5:00 pm.