Tag Archives: OLLU Saints Men’s Basketball

Men’s basketball defeats Southwest in overtime for first conference victory

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Hear from Head Coach Chris Dial and watch highlights.

The men’s basketball team earned its first Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) win of the season with a 105-98 overtime victory versus the University of the Southwest (USW). The Saints improve to 6-9 overall and 1-4 in the RRAC. The Mustangs fall to 6-8 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

History

The Saints were 18-6 against USW in the all-time series prior to the game today.

Basics

The first half was very competitive on both sides. The Saints held a slight lead until five minutes remaining when Southwest battled back for a five-point advantage. OLLU responded and tied the game 45-45 just before halftime with a tip-in by Cedric Cook (FR/Houston, Texas). The Saints shot 51.7 percent from the field backed by 14 points from Ruben Monzon (SR/San Diego, Calif.). The Mustangs also shot well from the field at 50 percent. Both teams shot 12-of-14 from the free-throw line.

There were multiple lead changes in the second half and the last two minutes were intense. The Saints led by six points with less than a minute remaining. Pearce Mack made a layup for the Mustangs, but Oscar Maldonado (JR/Greeley, Colo.) made two free throws after USW was forced to foul. The Saints’ six-point lead was quickly diminished to three with a three-point shot from Khaire Williams with 13 seconds left. Williams hit another three-point bucket with less than 10 seconds to send the game to overtime.

The Saints used the Mustangs’ comeback to fuel an impressive overtime frame. OLLU jumped out to a six-point advantage with just more than one minute left. The Mustangs were forced to foul and the Saints stayed disciplined at the free-throw line to close out a 105-98 victory.

Offensive/defensive standouts

Monzon led the Saints with 29 points, followed by Joseph Anderson (SR/Houston, Texas) with 15. Jordan Embry (SR/Paris, Texas) grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and added 13 points to earn a double-double. Anderson also led the team with four assists.

USW was led by Tae Brown with 20 points. Brown also led the Mustangs with eight rebounds. Latarryus Smith contributed a team-high three assists.

Inside the box

OLLU combined for 34-of-75 shooting for 45.3 percent, 5-of-20 from three-point range for 25 percent and 32-of-42 from the free-throw line for 76.2 percent.

USW combined for 37-of-71 from the field for 52.1 percent, 9-of-23 three-pointers for 39.1 percent and 15-of-20 from the charity stripe for 75 percent.

The Saints grabbed 41 rebounds while the Mustangs gathered 43. OLLU forced 22 turnovers and committed 13.

Up next

The Saints face Jarvis Christian College at home on Jan. 22 at 4 p.m.

Attendance policy for home basketball games

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The Athletic Department has announced that all basketball games during January will be closed to visiting spectators.

Scheduled games are listed here:
Jan. 13, 5:30/7:30 p.m. – vs. Paul Quinn College
Jan. 15, 2/4 p.m. – vs. University of the Southwest
Jan. 22, 2/4 p.m. – vs. Jarvis Christian College
 

Home fans will be allowed entrance in limited capacities, but they must be placed on a pass list by members of the team no later than Wednesday at 3 p.m. before that week’s home games. Home fans will be required to wear a mask and social distance themselves from others who are not in their group. They can arrive and be admitted to the game 15 minutes before the start of the game.

In addition, home fans for basketball games will be required to exit the facilities immediately after each game has concluded using the side doors of the gymnasium. This will allow a quick exit and set up a clean entry for fans for the next game. Fans will not be permitted to congregate in the University Wellness and Activities Center (UWAC) halls before or afterward. Home fans for the men’s team can arrive up to 15 minutes before game time. After the game, they also will be asked to leave and will not be allowed to congregate afterward.

All home spectators, along with members of the opposing teams, will be screened and have their temperature taken before entering the UWAC.

For the convenience of fans of opponents and home team fans unable to attend, the university will continue to live-stream home games for free here: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ollusaints/.

Joseph Anderson selected as conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week

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Joseph Anderson (SR/Houston, Texas) earned recognition as the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his play over the dates of Oct. 25-31. This is the first conference award of the 2021-2022 men’s basketball season.

Anderson accounted for 21 points and six rebounds as the Saints won their season opener, 103-90, over Southwestern Christian University. The senior guard from Houston was 5-of-9 from the field including a pair of three-pointers. Anderson was also 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. 

Marcus Thompson returns to OLLU as men’s basketball assistant coach

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Men’s basketball team is delighted to welcome back Marcus Thompson – an OLLU alumnus and four-year student-athlete – as assistant coach. He replaces three-year Assistant Coach Dustin Karrer, who is the new head coach at Brentwood Christian School in Austin, Texas.

Head Coach Chris Dial said, “Coach Karrer was a huge part of what we wanted to accomplish when coming to OLLU, and he is still part of our family. As tough as it is to lose someone so integral to what we are doing, we feel extremely fortunate to be able to bring on Marcus Thompson.”

Thompson comes to OLLU after the head-coaching position at Coastal Bend College in Beeville, Texas. He became the head coach at the junior college in 2019, and before that, he was the assistant coach there for one season. While at Coastal Bend, Thompson also was part of the faculty teaching business computer information systems, and he was an academic adviser.

“It is an honor and privilege to be able to come back home to Our Lady of the Lake University – a place that has really been the foundation for all the success I have had in my career,” Thompson commented. “I would like to thank President Dr. [Diane] Melby, Athletic Director Shane Hurley and Coach Chris Dial for the tremendous opportunity to be able to come back and be a coach here at OLLU. Our Lady of the Lake men’s basketball has been able to accomplish and do a lot of great things, and I am hoping to be able to come in and contribute to the success of the program.”

At OLLU from 2010-2014, Thompson led the men’s basketball team to a 2011-2012 Red River Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship, runner up at the postseason tournament and a round of 16 finish at the NAIA National Tournament. In 2010-2011, the team was postseason semifinalists; in 2012-2013, the Saints were postseason quarterfinalists; and in 2013-2014, the men finished as postseason semifinalists.

Thompson’s accolades included National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court recipient, All-Conference, Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Defensive Player of the Year, three-time RRAC Scholar-Athlete. Thompson holds several records that still stand today: most games played (128), most assists (630), most steals (315), season-best assists average (7.1), season most steals (131) and season-best steals average (4.1). Thompson also owns the record for the most steals in a game at OLLU and throughout the NAIA, with 15 in a game against Paul Quinn College in 2014.

“Coach Thompson is an excellent young coach and is a product of the university and city he’ll be serving,” Dial said. “Our players are lucky to be around a man of his character and caliber. He will bring an extraordinary passion, work ethic and energy to our team.”

Before his time at Coastal Bend, Thompson was the head coach for the UC Hoops – Adidas Gauntlet Program and head coach at Great Hearts Monte Vista. Before that, he was an accountant at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Thompson received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in May 2014 and his Master of Business Administration in Management in 2016 – both from OLLU.

He and his wife Julie – an OLLU alumna and four-year Saints’ softball student-athlete –are parents to two boys.

Michael Saladin signs with Swedish basketball club Hammarby Basket

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Former guard Michael Saladin has signed a professional contract to play with Hammarby Basket in Stockholm, Sweden.

Hammarby competes in the Basketettan Södra, which is a league comprised of 23 teams. The program exercises and plays training games throughout the year.

Saladin looks to the future saying, “It’s crazy to see where basketball can take you. I’m thankful God has allowed me to have this great opportunity to continue my career and experience a different part of the world!” He originally planned to play overseas following his career at OLLU in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his departure.

Saladin penciled his name in the record books both on and off the court for the Saints from 2018-2020. He ranks first among all Saints players with a career .464 three-point percentage and second in free-throw percentage at .839. Saladin was honored as Top Saint for the men’s basketball team following his junior season in 2018-2019.

Head Coach Chris Dial joined the Saints coaching staff the same year Saladin started. Dial said, “We are really proud of Mike and all that he’s accomplished. I am especially proud of the patience and resilience he has shown as the pandemic halted the overseas professional markets. I have had friends in the Hammarby Club for years, so seeing Mike go there to compete is like watching one family member join another. This opportunity is a testimony to the work he’s put in and the manner in which he did it. Our program is behind him and we wish him continued success.”

OLLU men’s basketball signs forward Joshua Santos from Cincinnati State

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OLLU men’s basketball announced the signing of Joshua Santos, a 6’8″ junior combo forward from London, England.
Santos played the 2015-2016 season for the Cincinnati State Surge of the National Junior College Athletic Association in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC). As a sophomore, he averaged 11.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game, shooting 46.2 percent overall and 40.4 percent from behind the 3-point line and was the OCCAC Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 21. During his freshman year, Santos played at Ancilla College, where he was named third team all-conference in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association. Read full story online.

Men’s basketball defeats Bacone to move to 5-0 in conference

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Men's Basketball 1-10-15-2The men’s basketball team defeated Bacone College (BC) 99-80 in a Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) game. The win moves the Saints to 10-1 on the season and 5-0 in the RRAC. The Warriors dropped to 4-10 on the season and 0-5 in conference. The game began with a back and forth pace that saw the lead change six times in the first period. OLLU led by as many as eight points with less than 90 seconds left in the half, but BC was able to cut that in half with the last shot of the half for a halftime score of 44-40. In the second half, the Saints were able to create some separation after shooting 53 percent and great performances from Jeremy Hines and De’Quentin Greer to win by a margin of 19 points 99-80. The Saints will take their unbeaten conference record on the road for a two-game stretch. OLLU will visit Wiley College on Friday, Jan. 16 and Jarvis Christian College on Saturday, Jan. 17. Both games are scheduled for a 7:30 tipoff time. Read full story online.

OLLU names Ryan Wall as head men’s basketball coach

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2013OLLUMBBCoachRyanWallOLLU has named Ryan Wall head men’s basketball coach. Wall took over as head coach of the Saints in November 2013 on an interim basis after the resignation of Russell Vanlandingham. Vanlandingham was the first coach of the men’s basketball team when it returned to competition in 2009 – he coached the team for four years. Wall joined the Saints in the 2012-2013 season as assistant coach. Wall came to OLLU from Ranger College, where he was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Under head coach, Larry Brown, Ranger College won the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference his last season – the first time in more than 40 years. Prior to Ranger, Wall was the graduate assistant for the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team. While here, he met and mentored future OLLU standout Xavier Roberson, who became only the second Saint to earn NAIA All-American honors. Roberson became the Saints’ all-time leading scorer and was the runner-up in the NAIA’s 3-Point Shooting Contest and a member of the winning inaugural all-star team. Read full article online.

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