FRONT ROYAL, Va. – The Gallaudet University men's basketball stepped out of conference play to go up against Christendom College on Wednesday night and came away with a 30-point win, 74-44.
Gallaudet (13-7) received a complete team effort in the victory as all 12 players that dressed saw action and scored a point or grabbed a rebound and logged at least 10 minutes. Four Bison finished with double figures led by freshman forward Tyler Crace (Westfield, Ind.), who came off the bench to score a game-high 13 points. Crace's point total is a new career high. Sophomores Jocus Houston (Baton Rouge, La.) and Danny Kelly (Strongsville, Ohio) scored 11 points each while junior forward Daniel Fava (Baltimore, Md.) dropped in 10. Junior forward Layton Seeber (Champaign, Ill.) was a force on both ends of the court as he scored eight points, eight rebounds and eight steals in 24 minutes. The eight steals are a new career-high for Seeber in a Bison uniform.
GU jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead which later improved to 11-1 midway through the first half as the Bison never looked back. Gallaudet took a 31-24 lead into halftime. The Bison were a perfect 9-for-9 at the free-throw line in the first half to extend its three-game free throw made streak to 35-for-35. Ironically enough the Bison missed the first free throw in the second half to snap the streak. They finished the game 21-for-26 (80.8 percent) from the charity stripe.
The Bison took advantage of 32 Christendom turnovers and converted them into 30 points and made 22 steals, a new season-high. The visitors were also a force in the paint as the Bison held a 22-8 advantage and the GU bench outscored the Crusader's deep bench 37-25. Gallaudet made 9-of-20 (45 percent) from behind the 3-point line.
Christendom (4-12) played 15 players and was led by guard Matt Rensch's 10 points, six rebounds and two steals. The Crusaders were held to 32.8 percent shooting from the field while the Bison made 40 percent. Christendom did hold a seven rebound advantage, 38-31.
Gallaudet is off for a week before it will play four of its final five regular-season games, all North Eastern Athletic Conference contests, at home. The Bison will welcome Penn St.-Berks to the Field House on Wednesday, February 9, for a 7 p.m. game.