Johnson & Wales knocks off Texas Lutheran 83-69

DENVER -- Johnson & Wales put together a 14-4 run over five minutes in the middle of the second half that propelled the Wildcats to a 83-69 win over Texas Lutheran Friday night at Wildcat Center.

TLU took a 45-44 lead at the 14:47 mark of the second half after a Harris Jowell (Brock/Brock) dunk. The Wildcats then mounted their run, making six consecutive free throws and a three-pointer in the spurt and holding TLU to two made field goals.

TLU entered the night a half-game ahead of Southwestern for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference lead. The loss drops TLU to 13-7 overall and to 8-3 in the SCAC. 

JWU improved to 15-6 overall and to 8-4 in the SCAC. 

The Bulldogs remain a half-game ahead of Southwestern after the Pirates lost on the road to Colorado College on Friday. TLU faces Colorado College on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MST (8:30 p.m. CST).

Jowell hit 10-of-15 from the field for TLU and led the Bulldogs with 23 points and 16 rebounds.

Nathan Josephs (San Antonio/Clark) and Jacob Kouremetis (San Antonio/O'Connor) added 14 and 12 points, respectively.

TLU went 4-for-24 from the three-point line and shot 41.7 percent overall from the floor.

JWU shot 49.1 percent from the field and made 6-of-16 from the three-point line.

Wildcat guards Andrew Romero and Jontrell Herman combined for 60 points. Romero scored 31 and had six rebounds, and Herman had 29 points and 12 rebounds.

JWU, in transition to NCAA Division III from the NAIA and ineligible for the upcoming SCAC Tournament, swept the season series with TLU.