Kamden Ross dominates, Schreiner men roll past Southwestern on milestone night

If Kamden Ross is on, the Schreiner Mountaineers are very difficult to stop. On Saturday afternoon, visiting Southwestern got a heavy dose of the junior forward, who dominated with 32 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers to an 87-72 victory in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup.

It was a milestone night for Ross, who scored his 1000th career point on a first-half free throw, and the 32 points were a season-high and the second-best scoring effort in his career.

“It was a very surreal moment; as a kid, you dream of this moment,” said Ross, a 6-foot-6 standout from San Antonio, who is working to become a dentist. “This is a dream come true.”

Ross is a nightmare for teams in the SCAC, where he’s a likely contender for player-of-the-year honors. Ross is averaging 18 points and 13 rebounds per game.

The victory improved the Mountaineers to 12-7 overall and 7-3 in conference play. Schreiner is in third place, two games behind conference-leading Trinity.

The Mountaineers overcame some sluggish play in the first half by mounting a 17-0 run to take control of the game. It was a run sparked by a Christian Caldwell, who was having a career night of his own. A senior guard, Caldwell scored a career-high 22 points, including connecting on six 3-pointers. Caldwell finished eight-of-nine shooting for the night.

Holding a 40-33 lead at halftime, Schreiner allowed Southwestern to get close, but Ross and company answered. Ross put on a show with a pair of dunks, including a lob from Dylan Mackey. Ross’ defensive effort resulted in three blocks, and his presence repeatedly altered Southwestern’s interior offensive schemes.

The Mountaineers will hit the road next week for games at Dallas and Austin College in Sherman.