IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas men's basketball team (10-6, 1-5 SCAC) was unable to cool down a hot-shooting Southwestern University (9-6, 4-2 SCAC) squad that was at around 50-percent from beyond the three-point line most of Friday night.
Despite the Crusaders marking their best field goal percentage of the season, 55.2-percent, SU would nip the home team 87-77. Dallas has dropped a season-high, three-straight contests; all occurring against league opponents.
Each team got off to quick starts with UD edging an early 14-9 margin with 13:49 to play in the first half. The next four baskets for the Pirates were nailed from the three-point arc ignited an 11-2 run over the next two and a half minutes for the visitors.
Southwestern rode the trifecta shots tonight with a 12-of-26 performance in the affair, and were successful at a 53.8 field goal shooting percentage. The Navy and White did outshoot the opposition, but did only hit 36.4-percent and 56.2-percent from the three-point arc and free throw line, respectively.
The Pirates were ahead 37-32 at halftime.
In the second stanza, Southwestern kept the Crusaders at a respectable distance until back-to-back layups by seniors Aaron Wyatt (Frisco, Texas) and Mark Promberger (Phoenix, Ariz.) nipped the deficit to 44-40 with 16:56 in regulation.
The duo would were the top scorers on the night for Dallas with Wyatt boasting a team-high 17 points, and Promberger chipping in 13.
A three-point gap separated the teams on a couple times just beyond the midway mark of the frame, but a 6-0 run for the Black and Gold pushed a 66-57 advantage with 6:11.
UD countered with five-straight points, all from sophomore Michael Sarrat (Colleyville, Texas), to slice the margin to a quartet of points. The squad's leading-scoring entering the matchup provided one of his pair of trey's to make things a two possession game.
The Pirates were too much to halt the sizzling scoring, as Dallas allowed a season-most in the setback. During the final 5:22 minutes of the game, Southwestern outscored the home squad 21-16 and posted a 50-45 tally in the second half.
A rare quintet of double figure scorers would claim the feat for the first time this season. Behind Wyatt and Promberger were Sarrat with 12, senior Kym Malone (Richardson, Texas) with 11, and senior Blaine Blackburn (Midlothian, Texas) with 10. Notably all members of this group were the Navy and White's starting five.
Malone also managed to dish out nine assists to tie a personal best and clinched his highest total of the campaign. The guard was one away from his first double-double of the year too.
Sophomore Tom Kaiser (Nashville, Tenn.) added eight points off the bench and six rebounds, one away from matching Wyatt's team-leading. The Crusaders edged SU in the rebounding department 30-28, and 18-16 in assists. Each squad turned the ball over 15 times apiece.
STAT OF THE GAME
In the first half, neither team recorded a free throw attempt, and combined for eight fouls overall.
Next Opponent
Dallas hosts Texas Lutheran University at 6 p.m. tomorrow following the women's basketball matchup.
