Bleu Devils Win First Round of YES HBCU Classic against St Thomas University

ST. THOMAS, VI–  Dillard used a decisive second-half surge and elite free-throw shooting to pull away from Florida St. Thomas University, 74–61, on Friday evening (Dec. 12, 2025).

After a tight first half that saw Dillard take a slim 29–27 lead into the break, the Bleu Devils turned the game with a 45-point second half. Dillard shot 50.0% from the field (24-for-48) and 50.0% from three (9-for-18), but the biggest separator came at the line: Dillard went 17-for-18 (94.4%) at the stripe, repeatedly cashing in during key stretches to maintain and extend their lead.

St. Thomas hung around with perimeter shooting—8-for-20 from three (40.0%)—and actually won the rebounding battle 31–27. But the Bobcats couldn't convert enough at the foul line, finishing just 17-for-30 (56.7%), and shot 38.3% overall (18-for-47), making it difficult to match Dillard's second-half efficiency.

Devin Lewis led Dillard with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting, adding four steals and a perfect 6-of-6 night at the free-throw line. DeCarter Coleman was highly efficient with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting (3-of-5 from three), while Christian Pichon added 14 points and knocked down 3-of-4 from deep. Off the bench, Ben Fort chipped in 10 points and Charles Hervey provided a physical interior presence with nine points, six rebounds, and three blocks.

For St. Thomas, Adrian Cruz paced the scoring with 17 points, though he endured a tough night at the line (6-for-12) and committed four turnovers. Flavio Kolmann delivered a major lift off the bench with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, drilling all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. Esteban Lluberes added 11 points and four assists, and Donovan McIntosh contributed in other areas with eight rebounds and four steals despite going scoreless.

Both teams were active defensively—Dillard recorded 12 steals and St. Thomas had nine—but Dillard's ability to turn pressure into points (21 points off turnovers) and its near-flawless free-throw execution ultimately decided the outcome. Technical fouls were assessed to St. Thomas (Colin Nutter) and Dillard (Devin Lewis) in a chippy contest that Dillard controlled down the stretch.

-Bleu Devils-