Willamette Set for Start of Cru Holiday Basketball Classic

Willamette Set for Start of Cru Holiday Basketball Classic

Bearcats to Open Tournament against Texas Lutheran

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

BELTON, TEXAS -- The Willamette University men's basketball team will take on Texas Lutheran University in the first round of the Cru Holiday Basketball Classic on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 3:30 p.m. (PST)/5:30 p.m. (CST). Willamette enters the game with a 3-6 overall record.

The tournament, hosted by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, will continue with the second round on Thursday, Dec. 30. WU will take on Mary Hardin-Baylor in the second round at 5:30 p.m. (PST)/7:30 p.m. (CST).

Cru Holiday Classic information, including links to Live Stats and Live Video, is available at the Official Cru Classic Website maintained by UMHB. The Live Video of Willamette's game with Texas Lutheran will include audio from Willamette's Audio Webcast, featuring the play-by-play announcing of Mike Allegre. The WU Webcast will begin at 3:15 p.m. (PST) on Wednesday.

Willamette's top scorer is junior wing/post Taylor Mounts (Kailua, HI/Iolani School) with 18.2 points per game. Sean Dart (So., Post, Bend, OR/Mountain View HS/Eastern Oregon Univ.) follows with 17.4 points per game and leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per contest. Dart ranks #1 in the nation in NCAA Division III in field goal percentage, after connecting on 70.7% of his field goal attempts (65 of 92).

The Bearcats are averaging 83.0 points per game. Overall, four Willamette players are averaging in double figures, while Robbie Kunke (Sr., G, Clackamas, OR/Clackamas HS) leads WU with 5.9 assists per contest.

Head Coach Kip Ioane will lead the Bearcats at the Cru Holiday Basketball Classic hosted by Mary Hardin-Baylor.