Texas Lutheran clinches share of SCAC regular-season title

SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran clinched a share of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championship with an 81-63 home win Friday over Austin College.

In TLU's Memorial Gymnasium (Jim Shuler Court), the Bulldogs used a 25-6 run early in the second half to put the game away. The Bulldogs led 35-28 with 19:17 to play. Seven minutes later, TLU held a 60-34 advantage.

Senior point guard Nathan Josephs (San Antonio/Clark) hit a pair of three-pointers in the run. Josephs finished the night with 26 points, three assists, and two rebounds. He made nine of his 15 shots and six of his 10 three-point attempts.

TLU moved to 16-8 overall and to 11-4 in the SCAC. Austin College fell to 8-16 overall and to 4-11 in the SCAC.

The Bulldogs have a one-game lead over Johnson & Wales (Denver) and Southwestern for the outright SCAC regular-season title. TLU and Southwestern still are in a battle for the top seed for the upcoming SCAC Tournament, which TLU hosts Feb. 22-24 in Seguin.

TLU already is assured a bye into the SCAC Tournament semifinal. The Bulldogs can clinch the top seed for the tournament with a win Sunday against Centenary College (La.). Tip-off in Seguin by the Bulldogs and the Gents is set for 2 p.m.

In the win over Austin College, Jacob Kouremetis (San Antonio/O'Connor), Shawn Hamilton (San Antonio/MacArthur), and Jackson Willoughby (Port Aransas/Port Aransas) each scored 10. Willoughby grabbed six rebounds, and Hamilton and Kouremetis each had five.

Kouremetis dished out five assists, and Alex Cage (Austin/McNeil) delivered six assists. TLU recorded 20 assists on 28 made baskets.

The Bulldogs shot 47.5 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from the three-point line for the game.

TLU held Austin College to 37.3 percent shooting. The Bulldogs out-rebounded the Kangaroos by 14, 47-33.