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UNT Dallas

Photo Recap MBB at LSUA
67
UNT Dallas UNTD 6-10, 5-7
75
Winner LSU Alexandria LSUA 12-6, 9-3
UNT Dallas UNTD
6-10, 5-7
67
Final
75
LSU Alexandria LSUA
12-6, 9-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNT Dallas UNTD 31 36 67
LSU Alexandria LSUA 41 34 75

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | nathanyacovissi

UNT Dallas Men's Basketball Continued Grind at LSUA

ALEXANDRIA, La. – University of North Texas at Dallas men's basketball battled back from a 20-point deficit midway through the second half but were unable to cool a surging LSU-Alexandria on Saturday in a 75-67 final at the Fort. It was a competitive opening half through the first 13 minutes, but the Generals caught fire with 10 straight points that fueled a 22-10 scoring run to close with a 10-point halftime advantage.
 
The Generals won their fourth game in a row and improve to 12-6 overall and are second in the Red River Athletic Conference with a 9-3 record. UNT Dallas drops to 6-10 overall and 5-7 in the league, as it split the road series through central Louisiana.
 
It appeared that LSUA was going to cruise to a double-digit victory throughout most of the second half. The margin was in double figures most of the period with the largest span hitting 20 points (62-42) with 9:27 to go. The Trailblazers continued to bring their grit and a trifecta by Demaryon Thornton (Chicago, Ill.) closed the gap to 10 points (67-57) with 2:45 left. Another triple by the senior pulled the guests to within seven points (69-62) with under a minute to go. Jonathan Joseph (Houston, Texas) had a layup and got fouled with 37 seconds. The three-point play at the line was converted and it was a five-point game (72-67) with 26 seconds remaining. The Generals closed the win out with three-of-four free throws and UNT Dallas was short on the rally.
 
Greg Crawford (Houston, Texas) had another key basket in that last minute surge to make it a two possession game, and etched 10 second half points. His fellow Houston native, Joseph had seven points in that stanza.
 
Crawford finished as the team's leading scorer a second straight game this weekend with 17 points and hauled down a team-high 14 rebounds for his sixth double-double on the campaign. It also gave Crawford consecutive games with a double-double, as he pulled down 12 defensive rebounds.
DaRyan Williams (Austin, Texas) tossed in 12 points from the bench and was second on the team in points. Joseph had 10 points, while Thornton counted both clutch threes for his lone points. Dreyon Thornton (Chicago, Ill.) had the second highest total rebounds on the squad with five.
 
UNT Dallas shot 44.4 percent (24-54) from the field with a 3-for-13 (23.1 percent) from three-point range, and 16-for-26 at the free throw line. The visitors had 34 boards and committed 14 turnovers. The Trailblazers did their damage in the paint with a 38-28 advantage. Second chance points favored UNTD by one (7-6), while LSUA had a 15-8 edge in points off turnovers.
 
LSUA shot 39.1 percent (25-64) overall with six three-pointers and hit 19-of-24 free throws including 12 out of 14 in the last 20 minutes. The Generals totaled 35 rebounds, 13 assists, seven turnovers, and nine steals.
 
PD McCraney led all players with 20 points, going 4-of-5 from three and 5-of-8 overall. Jordan Decuir had 12 points, while EJ McQuillan was limited to 11 points. McQuillan entered the weekend averaging over 20 points and was the RRAC leading scorer.
 
The Trailblazers competed out of the gate as there were four ties and 12 lead changes. Each side gained a lead six times and tied twice – all in the opening frame. JT Curry (Baton Rouge, La.) got the Trailblazers on the board with a layup to tie the score two minutes into the game. Crawford made a pair of free throws for a narrow UNTD lead. Curry and Crawford were responsible for the first nine points on UNTD's side and helped build a 9-7 edge through six minutes. A layup by Eli Taylor (Elizabeth, N.J.) gave the Trailblazers their largest lead of the game at four (11-7) with 13:41 left in the first.
 
LSUA answered with seven of the next nine points to grab the advantage two minutes later. Jospeh knotted the game on the next play with a split at the free throw line. Dre. Thornton picked a steal and found Joseph for a fastbreak layup to go up 16-14. Sedric Curry Jr. (Baton Rouge, La.) gave the Trailblazers a lead back with a jumper. Taylor countered a LSUA trey by McCraney with a basket to flip the score at 20-19. Crawford hit one-of-two free throws after that, but two more triples by McCraney changed the lead a final time and sparked the run the Generals needed to gain control of the game into the break.
 
It was a favorable second half for the home team out of the gate, as the Trailblazers continued to battle trying to close the gap towards single digits. A three by Dre. Thornton and steal that led to a layup by Joseph injected life into UNT Dallas with just past five minutes remaining. Crawford hit a free throw and Joseph added a layup before Dem. Thornton drilled his first three-pointer to bridge the gap to 10. Taylor capped a 13-2 run for the Trailblazers with less than two minutes left. After a LSUA basket, Thornton was true from three a second time for his overall point tally. The Trailblazers notched 21 points out of 28 points in this late run before LSUA scored the final three points to conclude the contest.
 
UNT Dallas is back at Trinity Leadership Public School Thursday and Saturday for rematches against Our Lady of the Lake University (January 22 at 7:30 p.m.) and Texas A&M-San Antonio (Jan. 24 at 3:00 p.m.).
 
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