Navarro, Moehrig Leads TLU Past Austin College, 50-45
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Austin (8-15,7-8 SCAC) | 12 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 45 |
|
Texas Lutheran (15-8,12-3 SCAC) | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 50 |
SEGUIN, TX -- Jenesis Navarro (San Antonio/Lee) scored 12 points, Jayla Santa Maria (Edinburg/Edinburg) hit two game-sealing free throws with 12 seconds remaining and Texas Lutheran beat Austin College 50-45 on Friday night.
The Bulldogs (15-8, 12-3 SCAC) started the second half on a 10-2 run to pull away in a contest marred by offensive difficulties and turnovers. The win was Texas Lutheran's third in a row and moved the Bulldogs to 5-2 in the month of February.
Both teams struggled mightily offensively, Texas Lutheran matched a season low in scoring on 16-of-64 shooting. The previous low came in a 67-50 December loss to St. Ambrose. Despite their struggles, the Bulldogs led for the entire second half following a 26-all tie at halftime.
Texas Lutheran would trail by as many as six points in the first half, but a Kailey Lacy (Pflugerville/Hendrickson) layup in the closing seconds of the second quarter would bring the game to a 26-all tie heading into halftime.
Texas Lutheran would force eight Austin College turnovers in each half led by Santa Maria's two steals. Texas Lutheran would also benefit from bonus possessions on the glass partially due in part to the work from Tanyse Moehrig (Spring Branch/Smithson Valley) on the glass as she would collect 13 rebounds - six offensive and 11 total in the second half - to lead the Bulldogs in addition to her eight points.
Texas Lutheran would never fully pull away as Austin College kept the game competitive into the final seconds until Santa Maria stepped to the line and nailed two free throws to make the Bulldogs lead insurmountable.
With the win, Texas Lutheran clinches the #2 seed and a first round bye in the SCAC Tournament under first year head coach Troy Patterson next weekend in Sherman, Texas.
Up next, Saturday's home finale vs. Centenary is scheduled for a 4 PM tip-off with Senior Day festivities set to take place prior to the women's basketball game. All streaming and stat links can be found on tlubulldogs.com.