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UNT Dallas

Photo Recap vs. Xavier
73
Winner Xavier (LA) XAVIER ( 4-3, 1-1
62
UNT Dallas UNT DALL 2-6, 1-3
Winner
Xavier (LA) XAVIER (
4-3, 1-1
73
Final
62
UNT Dallas UNT DALL
2-6, 1-3
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Xavier (LA) XAVIER ( 39 34 73
UNT Dallas UNT DALL 30 32 62

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | nathanyacovissi

Trailblazers fall 1st Time at Home on Thursday

CEDAR HILL, Texas – University of North Texas at Dallas men's basketball continued its uneasy start to the season with a 73-62 setback to Xavier University of Louisiana on Thursday night at Trinity Leadership Public School. The Trailblazers fell a third straight game, all in conference play, and for the first time at home this season. They were within striking distance most of the second half, but a nine-point gap at halftime (39-30) proved too much for UNTD.
 
The Trailblazers fall to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in conference, while Xavier (La.) improved to 4-3 and 1-1.
 
It was a competitive start to the game with each team grabbing a lead in the early going. Through the first seven minutes, a trey by Keelan Russell (Dallas, Texas) flipped the lead to UNTD at 12-11. Xavier (La.) responded with the next five points including a triple by Nasir Degruy to go up by four. Teams traded baskets for several minutes until a few baskets by the Gold Rush pushed the margin to seven points with six and a half before intermission. The visitors reached a double-digit lead twice in the final two minutes to hold control of the game.
 
UNT Dallas played inspired out of the locker room by starting the next 20 minutes with seven points and kept the Gold Rush off the board for nearly three minutes. Williams had back-to-back layups to make it a 39-37 score. Xavier (La.) never broke nor relinquished the advantage, as the Trailblazers pulled within a point (42-41) with 14:24 left on a layup by Keylyn Sanders (Paris, Texas).
 
Xavier (La.) answered with two baskets and Crawford's pair of free throws made it a one possession game the last time with 12 minutes to go. A four-point three-point play ignited a 9-0 run to balloon the margin to double-digits. A dunk by Williams with under nine minutes was the flashiest play for the Trailblazers and cut the score to the closest it would be the remainder of the game. The Gold Rush were able to maintain a double-digit advantage and claimed victory.
 
Crawford was UNTD's leading scorer with 16 points, as he went 8-for-9 at the free throw line. Crawford has scored in double-digits in seven-of-eight games this season and has achieved the feat in 35 career UNT Dallas games, as he did it in each one his 2024-25 campaign. Russell was the other double-digit performer with 11 points. Williams had seven points and notched a team-high nine boards. He added two assists, a block, and a steal.
 
UNT Dallas shot 40.4 percent (19-47) overall, with two three-pointers, and 22-for-28 at the free throw line. UNTD held a 10-7 advantage on second chance points, but Xavier (La.) dominated on points off turnovers (30-17), points in the paint (40-26), and fastbreak points (14-2).
 
Elijah Tate scored a game-high 28 points and was 10-of-16 and 5-of-9 to pace the Gold Rush. Jamal Gibson followed with 16 points and eight rebounds. The team had 19 steals and forced UNTD into 29 turnovers.
 
Xavier (La.) shot 48.4 percent (30-62) from the field, which included 50 percent (17-34) in the opening stanza. The guests made eight trifectas but were 5-for-18 at the free throw line.
 
UNT Dallas concludes the home portion of the 2025 schedule with a conference matchup against North American University on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
 
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