TLU’s Hunter Holsonback’s free throw at the 8:15 mark made it 51-40, the biggest lead by either team in the game, but the Cowboys rallied. Grant Justus hit a pair of free throws to cut it to nine and a Carl Thompson 3-point play cut it to six at 51-45 with 6:52 to play. A Mike Ekanem put back and a Kevin Gleinke 3-pointer staked TLU back to a nine-point lead at 56-47 with 5:11 to play.
Andre Washington followed his own miss and Tanner Kudrna hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 56-52. Zach Pickelman’s lay-up at the 3:28 mark made 56-54. TLU’s Ekanem then rebounded another Matt Nelson miss and scored to make it 58-54, before Garrett Pool’s 3-pointer with 2:26 to play made it 58-57.
Neither team was able to score on the next three possessions. Holsonback missed a 3-pointer, then Garrett Pool stepped on the out-of-bounds line trying to penetrate. Mike Ekanem committed the same infraction for TLU and it was still a 1-point game with 1:04 to play. Tanner Kudrna’s post feed was tipped away and stolen by TLU with :35 to play.
TLU then ran the shot clock down and Nik Summers hit a 3-pointer from the left corner giving the Bulldogs a 61-57 lead with :12 to go.
HSU was led by Zach Pickelman’s 17 points and five rebounds. Carl Thompson added 13. Texas Lutheran was led by Holsonback’s 16 points and Ekanem scored 14.
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 6-15 overall and 4-6 in ASC West play. TLU improved to 15-6 overall and 7-3 in ASC West action. HSU plays at Mary Hardin-Baylor on Thursday.