SHREVEPORT, La. -- Texas Lutheran Men's Basketball opened Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play Friday in Shreveport, La. with a 71-66 loss to Centenary College (La.).

TLU trailed 67-66 with 12 seconds to play and had possession of the basketball. TLU junior point guard Nathan Josephs drove the lane with less than five seconds to play, but his shot was blocked by Mitchell Tarantolo.

Centenary picked up the rebound, drew a foul and converted a pair of free throws to push the lead to three with three seconds to play. After a TLU turnover on a length-of-the-court pass, the Gents made two more free throws to account for the final score.

Centenary improved to 8-4 overall and to 2-0 in the SCAC. 

TLU, the three-time defending champion of the SCAC, dropped to 4-8 overall and to 0-1 in the SCAC.

The Bulldogs have lost four in a row.

Josephs led TLU with 19 points, five assists and four rebounds. He was 6-for-14 from the field and 3-for-6 from the three-point line.

No other Bulldog had more than eight. Jacob Kouremetis and Matthew Gillette each scored eight, and Shawn Hamilton contributed seven points and eight rebounds.

Travion Kirkendoll paced the Gents with 19 points, five rebounds and four steals. Cedric Harris and Kaharri Carter added 16 and 15 points, respectively. Carter pulled down eight rebounds.

Tarantolo registered six blocks.

TLU continues SCAC play this Sunday with a noon match-up in Sherman, Texas against Austin College.