Bulldogs End Streak; Hold On For 77-75 Win Over Austin College
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Austin (5-7,1-4 SCAC) | 31 | 44 | 75 |
|
Texas Lutheran (2-11,1-3 SCAC) | 45 | 32 | 77 |
SEGUIN, Texas -- Leading for just over 29 minutes Friday night, the Bulldogs were able to hold on down the stretch to knock off Austin College, 77-75, to end their nine-game losing streak inside Memorial Gymnasium.
Xavier Phillips (Austin/Dripping Springs) led the Bulldogs (2-11, 1-3 SCAC) with 12 points. LaDarius King (Austin/St. Stephen's Episcopal) added 11 points, including eight in the second half, and added six rebounds and eight assists - both team and career highs.
After trailing early, a 12-0 run midway through the first half gave TLU a 23-17 lead. The Bulldogs continued to apply pressure to the Kangaroos as they would take a 45-31 lead into halftime. Phillips would score 10 of his 12 points in the first half. Five of the Bulldogs 16 first half buckets came from beyond the arc, including two from DJ Ardoin (Houston/Pearland).
The 'Roos (5-7, 1-4 SCAC) didn't quit however. The 'Roos would gradually chip away at the Bulldogs lead until they tied it up, 72-all with 3:23 remaining. The two teams would trade small leads as it became a free throw shooting contest in the final two minutes. Phillips and King would sink clutch free throws as the Bulldogs escaped with a 77-75 victory. The Bulldogs converted 14-of-19 at the stripe on the night.
Texas Lutheran finished the night 28-of-60 from the field (46.7%) and 7-of-24 from deep (29.2%).
Texas Lutheran concludes its four-game homestand on Saturday, December 30, continuing SCAC play with a matchup with the University of Dallas Crusaders. Tip-off is set for 4 PM at Memorial Gymnasium and will be streamed on TLU+ as well as KWED 1580 AM Radio with Chris Austin on the call for fans in the Guadalupe County area. All streaming and live stats links will be available on tlubulldogs.com.
Fans can receive updates by following @tluathletics & @tlubasketball on X (Twitter) and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the TLU Athletics Facebook page at @tlubulldogs or by visiting the team's Instagram page at @tlumensbasketball and as always follow TLU athletics on all of our social channels for updates on all things TLU Athletics.
