Houston ---- Houston Baptist University exploded in the second half and routed Langston University 104-70 at Sharp Gymnasium Monday night. The two teams were deadlocked 42-all at the half, but the Huskies got defensive and limited the Lions to just 28 points in the second frame while racing past their former conference rival.
The Huskies came out slow and Langston flew out of the gates with a 14-6 run as Geremie Allison hit two three-pointers and Chris Green added another. HBU slowly crept back into the game, finally taking its first lead on a Baron Sauls jumper in the paint with 10:12 to go in the first half.
The two teams would trade blows the rest of the half. Another three by Allison gave Langston the lead back, and a moment later, Aubrey Doss hit a layin to push the LU lead to five. HBU rallied with a 13-2 run over the next two minutes, highlighted by two three's and a three-point play from Baron Sauls to give HBU a 39-33 lead with 2:59 to go in the half.
Langston then held HBU to just three points the rest of the way, that coming on an Andrew Puzyk three-ball with 30 seconds to go in the half. That bucket tied the game at 42, which is where the two teams entered the break.
After the intermission, the Huskies slowly pulled out to a small edge, taking a six-point lead with 15:24 to play. It was then that the floodgates opened, as Andrew Puzyk hit a three-pointer to start a game-deciding 20-5 run over the next six minutes.
Puzyk hit another jumper and Sauls scored on a breakaway dunk before Puzyk hit again from deep. Fred Hinnenkamp's charity shot gave HBU 15 unanswered points in a row as the Huskies kept the Lions scoreless for four-plus minutes in stretching the lead to 70-49 with 11:56 to play.
The lead would continue to grow the rest of the way. A layup by Hinnenkamp and a three-point play by Gordon Watt gave the Huskies an 82-57 lead and moments later the lead reached 31 on a Sauls' layup. A three-ball by Demetrus Judge with 1:34 to play gave HBU its second straight 100-point outing.
The Huskies shot a sizzling 67 percent in the second half to finish the game at 56 percent. HBU assisted on 24 of its 40 made baskets and commited just nine turnovers. The Huskies held a 30-4 edge in fast break points and outscored the Lions 52-28 in the paint.
After the tie at the half, HBU outscored Langston 62-28 in the second half.
Gordon Watt led the Huskies with his first career 30-point effort. He notched his team-high sixth double-double of the year with 30 points and 11 rebounds while chipping in four assists. Baron Sauls came off the bench for 22 points and seven assists.
Emanuel Willis also had a double-double,his fourth of the year, with 12 points and 10 boards while collecting four assists and two blocks. Andrew Puzyk added 11 points. Demetrus Judge had eight points off the bench and Fred Hinnenkamp added seven points and four boards.
Geremie Allison had 22 points to lead Langston. Meshon Lewis had 10 points and eight rebounds and Ralph Hishaw had eight points and eight rebounds. Aubrey Doss gave Langston eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench.
Houston Baptist University is now 11-15 overall and has won nine of its last 11.
The Huskies continue their five-game season-ending homestand on Saturday with a 3 pm tilt against Huston-Tillotson University.
