Posted: Feb 23, 2019
TLU returns to SCAC Championship final with 64-60 semifinal win over Trinity
SEGUIN, Texas -- The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs will play for their fourth Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship in five years after defeating the Trinity University Tigers 64-60 in the conference tournament semifinal Saturday night.
TLU (18-9) will face No. 5 seed University of Dallas at 2 p.m. Sunday in TLU's Memorial Gymnasium (Jim Shuler Court). The Crusaders upset No. 1 seed Southwestern 91-84 in the first semifinal Saturday in Seguin.
Trinity's season concluded with a record of 7-20. Trinity advanced to the semifinal with a win over No. 3 seed Centenary on Friday.
TLU, the No. 2 seed and regular-season co-champion with Southwestern, held off the No. 6 seed Tigers down the stretch. Nathan Josephs (San Antonio/Clark) hit a key three-pointer with 4:38 to play to give TLU an eight-point lead.
Alex Cage (Austin/McNeil) drained a jumper with just under four minutes remaining to put TLU up 10, 58-48.
The Tigers went on an 9-1 run over the next three minutes to cut the lead down to two with 33 seconds on the clock.
Josephs made three of four free throws in the closing seconds, and Caleb Lister (Baytown/Baytown Christian Academy) grabbed a rebound on an intentional miss of a free throw. Lister then made both free throws with 0.3 remaining to seal the win.
Josephs led TLU with 16 points, four assists and four rebounds. Shawn Hamilton (San Antonio/MacArthur) contributed 13 points and five rebounds.
Jackson Willoughby (Port Aransas/Port Aransas) added 10 points and nine rebounds.
Ben Hanley led Trinity with 13 points and seven rebounds. All-conference forward Danny Rivara had 11 points and eight rebounds, but he went 3-for-12 from the field.
Trinity was held to 24 percent shooting in the first half and to 37 percent for the game.
The Tigers were 1-of-9 from the three-point line. TLU went 9-for-28 from the arc.
TLU (18-9) will face No. 5 seed University of Dallas at 2 p.m. Sunday in TLU's Memorial Gymnasium (Jim Shuler Court). The Crusaders upset No. 1 seed Southwestern 91-84 in the first semifinal Saturday in Seguin.
Trinity's season concluded with a record of 7-20. Trinity advanced to the semifinal with a win over No. 3 seed Centenary on Friday.
TLU, the No. 2 seed and regular-season co-champion with Southwestern, held off the No. 6 seed Tigers down the stretch. Nathan Josephs (San Antonio/Clark) hit a key three-pointer with 4:38 to play to give TLU an eight-point lead.
Alex Cage (Austin/McNeil) drained a jumper with just under four minutes remaining to put TLU up 10, 58-48.
The Tigers went on an 9-1 run over the next three minutes to cut the lead down to two with 33 seconds on the clock.
Josephs made three of four free throws in the closing seconds, and Caleb Lister (Baytown/Baytown Christian Academy) grabbed a rebound on an intentional miss of a free throw. Lister then made both free throws with 0.3 remaining to seal the win.
Josephs led TLU with 16 points, four assists and four rebounds. Shawn Hamilton (San Antonio/MacArthur) contributed 13 points and five rebounds.
Jackson Willoughby (Port Aransas/Port Aransas) added 10 points and nine rebounds.
Ben Hanley led Trinity with 13 points and seven rebounds. All-conference forward Danny Rivara had 11 points and eight rebounds, but he went 3-for-12 from the field.
Trinity was held to 24 percent shooting in the first half and to 37 percent for the game.
The Tigers were 1-of-9 from the three-point line. TLU went 9-for-28 from the arc.