When they needed it most, the Schreiner University men’s basketball team exploded in the second half for an 86-69 victory over visiting Texas Lutheran to secure the sixth seed in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

Kamden Ross broke out of a scoring slump, scored a game-high 23 points, and turned in a dominating effort on the board with 22 rebounds. Ross played 38 minutes and scored more than 20 points for the first time since Dec. 4. Dylan Mackey poured in 22 points, and Alex Dehoyos played a monster game off the bench with a season-high 15 points.

The victory means the Mountaineers will play Colorado College in the first round of the SCAC tournament at 5 p.m. on Friday at Trinity University in San Antonio.

For a chunk of the second half, Schreiner looked headed toward defeat and elimination from the postseason. Trailing 60-50 with less than 12 minutes remaining, the Mountaineers would outscore the Bulldogs 36-9 in the next 11 minutes.

Ross got the Mountaineers back on track on three consecutive layups, and Dehoyos began his attack on the Texas Lutheran interior. The cagey grad student scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half. However, Ross dominated the game with 21 second-half points and proved formidable on the defensive side of the ball with 10 rebounds and a block.

Dylan Mackey kept the Mountaineers in the game early and was crucial in the second half with 10 points. Mackey played a season-high 37 minutes in a regulation game.

And Schreiner coach Marwan Elrakawaby stuck with lineups for long stretches, with Mackey, Ross and guard Beau Cervantes playing more than 30 minutes. Dehoyos logged 24 minutes. Forwards Darian Gibson and Bronson Evans played more than 15 minutes. Evans added 11 points.