HOUSTON – The University of St. Thomas men's basketball team rolled to a 108-60 win over the University of Dallas Wednesday night.

St. Thomas (7-2) shot a season-high 62.7 percent from the floor, knocking down 37 of 59 field goals en route to the runaway win. The Celts outscored the Crusaders, 68-33, in the second half.

Paris Marquez (SR/Atascocita, Texas) led the Celts with 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting, while pulling down seven rebounds. Paul Taulton (JR/Pearland, Texas) had 13 points, Orowo Eleyae (SR/Houston, Texas) 12 and Nathan Thormaehlen (JR/Katy, Texas) and Freddie Ricks (FR/Cypress, Texas) each scored 11. Thormaehlen also had six boards.

UST opened up a 29-17 lead on a triple by Michael Alfred (JR/Baton Rogue, Louisiana) at the 6:19 mark of the first half. Logan Fruhwirth sank two free throws for Dallas (1-6) to cut the gap to 32-23 with 3:05 to play in the half. But Thormaehlen converted a three-point play on a dish from Cameron Gims (FR/Cypress, Texas) to extend the Celts' lead back to 14.

St. Thomas led 40-27 at the break.

UST doubled up Dallas, 62-31, when Thormaehlen buried a triple at the 14:15 mark of the second half. Nicholas Perez (JR/Katy, Texas) scored in the paint to push the lead to 79-42 with 10:16 remaining, and Lennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas)'s three 2:13 later gave St. Thomas a 40-point advantage in the second half rout.

The Celts had a season-high 27 assists, including six by Kennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas), who also scored eight points.

UST was 13 of 30 from three-point range. Dallas went 4 of 20.

St. Thomas will host Huston-Tillotson in the Red River Athletic Conference opener 4 p.m. Saturday at the Jerabeck Activity & Athletic Center.