Colorado College used a suffocating defensive effort to pull away early and never look back, cruising past the University of Dallas, 87–55, on Sunday afternoon at Reid Arena.

Christian Drummond led all scorers with 15 points while adding four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Kyle Kihlberg anchored the paint with a career-high 14 rebounds, two blocks and nine points, and Asher Nofziger recorded a double-double with 12 points, 11 boards and three blocks as the Tigers overwhelmed the Crusaders at the rim. 

CC forced 18 turnovers, turned them into 30 points, and finished with 11 blocks on the day. It's the most blocks in a game for the Tigers since Feb. 10, 2023, against Texas Lutheran.

CC held Dallas to 37.0 percent shooting and just 25.0 percent from beyond the arc. The Tigers also dominated the paint (50–30), second-chance points (19–5) and fast-break scoring (16–6) to control the game on both ends.

CC jumped out in front for good midway through the first half and steadily built separation behind a 14–2 run that featured multiple steals, transition baskets and interior stops. The Tigers closed the opening period on a defensive surge, holding Dallas without a field goal over the final two minutes to take a 42–27 lead into the break.

The momentum continued after halftime as CC opened the second half with a series of blocks and forced turnovers that quickly pushed the lead past 20. The Tigers' defense consistently contested shots at the rim and limited clean perimeter looks, never allowing Dallas to mount a run.

TJ Satcher provided a spark off the bench with 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting, while Orion Samikoglu knocked down three three-pointers on his way to 11 points. Ty Hendler added nine points, four assists and two steals as CC's balanced attack was fueled by its defensive pressure.

I'm really excited for our guys," head coach Jeff Conarroe said. "They were spectacular on defense and on the glass tonight. We have committed to playing one possession at a time as hard as we can, that commitment is really paying off. They have shown great resiliency to get the season back on track. I'm super proud of them!"

The Tigers are on the road against Hendrix College on Friday, Jan. 16.