BEAUMONT, Texas – For the third time in league play, HBU rallied from a double-digit deficit to take a late, but Lamar had the final word as the Cardinals escaped with a 59-57 victory Southland Conference basketball Thursday night at Montagne Center.
 
Sophomore forward Cody Joyce scored a career-high 18 points to go along with four rebounds and two blocks for the Huskies (4-17, 1-8 SLC), while sophomore guard Mike Turner nailed four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 12 points. Freshman guard Reveal Chukwujekwu led HBU with seven rebounds, and freshman forward Alex Fountain grabbed six boards off the bench.
 
Nimrod Hilliard and Anthony Holliday had 14 points each for Lamar (3-18, 2-7). Donovan Ross and Amos Wilson each had nine points and eight rebounds for the Cardinals.
 
Lamar shot 41 percent, 2-for-11 from 3-point range, and 13-for-19 from the free throw line, while HBU shot 38 percent, 5-for-15 from long distance, and 12-for-20 from the line. The Huskies outrebounded the Cardinals, 40-36.
 
HBU took a 5-4 lead on a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Caleb Crayton, but Lamar got a jumper from Wilson, a three by Marcus Owens, back-to-back inside buckets by Ross, then another by Wilson to outscore the Huskies 11-2 and take a 15-7 lead with 13:03 remaining. HBU answered back with a layup by junior center Ricmonds Vilde, then back-to-back threes by Turner to tie it. The Cardinals got two-straight three-point plays by Hilliard and Wilson to lead by six, but Turner buried another triple, then Joyce made a free throw and a layup to tie the score, 21-21, with 8:31 left.
 
Ross and Holliday each made a pair of free throws to put the Cardinals ahead by four, then Joyce made one-of-two from the line, but Holliday drove the baseline for a layup. Joyce hit a turnaround jump hook on the other end, only to have Holliday drive to the basket for another layup. Joyce sank two free throws, but Ross made a free throw, Green rebounded the miss on the second and ended up with a three-point play. Hilliard put Lamar ahead by nine with a 15-footer with 4:05 on the clock. The Huskies were held without a field goal for the final 6:16 of the half as the Cardinals took a 40-28 lead into the break.
 
HBU shot 36 percent from the field in the first half, including 4-of-10 from 3-point range, but only 6-of-12 from the free throw line. Lamar shot 52 percent, 2-of-5 from long range, and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. The Cardinals outrebounded the Huskies, 23-13, in the opening frame. Joyce led HBU with 10 points, while Ross had nine for Lamar.
 
Joyce opened the second-half scoring with a three-point play and a layup, and after Wilson got Lamar on the board in the second half, Crayton followed Joyce's miss with a tip-in and Chukwujekwu knocked down a jumper to get the Huskies within five at the 16:00 mark. A sweeping hook by Vilde cut the Cardinals' lead to three, but Minton answered with a long jumper.
 
Lamar extended its lead back to nine on dunk by Holliday with 9:30 left, but Vilde came back with a layup for HBU. Lasher banked a runner off the glass, Joyce converted a three-point play, Lewis hit a pair of free throws and Barton's layup with 3:56 left gave the Huskies a 53-52 lead. Hilliard had a quick reply with a layup at the other end, then Holliday made a backdoor cut for a layup to put the Cardinals ahead, 56-53, with 2:07 left.
 
Each team made a stop and the Huskies got the ball back with 44 seconds left, then Turner came off a screen and drilled a three to tie it with 42 seconds left. The Cardinals brought the ball up the court, Hilliard drove inside and his short jumper fell through with eight seconds remaining. Lewis caught the inbounds pass near midcourt and drove straight to the cup, but was fouled and the ball skipped off the front of the rim. Lewis missed the first and made the second to make it a one-point game. Hilliard was fouled with 2.4 seconds left, made the first and missed the second, and Lasher grabbed the rebound, but his desparate heave was not close.
 
The Huskies return to action when they travel to face Sam Houston State Saturday at 4 p.m. at Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.