Caleb Lister.
Caleb Lister.

Johnson & Wales-Denver edges Texas Lutheran 59-58 in conference contest

DENVER, Colo. – Texas Lutheran's two last-second shots did not drop Friday night against Johnson & Wales-Denver, and the Wildcats secured a 59-58 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Bulldogs.

JWU-Denver improved 2-7 overall and to 1-1 in the SCAC.

The Bulldogs, coming off Thursday night's one-point road win over Colorado College, fell to 4-5 overall and to 1-1 in the SCAC.

JWU-Denver rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit by outscoring TLU 33-25 in the second half.

The Wildcats scored 33 of their 59 points from the three-point line. JWU-Denver went 11-for-21 from the arc.

After shooting 48.4 percent from the field in the first half, TLU dropped to 37.5 percent in the second half.

At the three-point line, TLU was 4-for-18 overall and 1-for-6 in the second half.

JWU-Denver hit 50 percent of its second half shots and went 5-for-11 from the arc in the closing 20 minutes.

TLU held the lead for 23:49 of the game. The lead changed hands nine times, and the game was tied three times.

Kaleb Atherley led the Wildcats with 15 points. Charles Young added 14 and dished out six assists.

Young made four three-pointers, and Brandon Romero chipped in three three-pointers.

Caleb Lister led TLU with 21 points. He added eight rebounds and three steals.

Lister was 7-for-13 from the floor and 2-of-5 from the three-point line. The Bulldogs were a plus-13 with Lister on the floor.

Jamir Mason scored 13, and Sebastian Andrade collected 11 points.

Jorden Kite led TLU with 11 rebounds. TLU out-rebounded JWU-Denver 35-28.

The Bulldogs return to Seguin and to Memorial Gymnasium (Jim Shuler Court) for the next three conference contests. TLU faces Trinity and Schreiner on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30, respectively, before playing Southwestern on Jan. 3.