HOUSTON – HBU trailed by 14 points in the second half, but used a 15-2 run to erase the deficit and eventually tie the game; however, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi bounced back and held off the Huskies, 66-61, in Southland Conference basketball Saturday night at Sharp Gym.
 
Junior center Ricmonds Vilde led the Huskies (5-22, 2-13 SLC) with 13 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore guard Rob Lewis had 12 points and four assists. Sophomore guard Caleb Crayton added 10 points and seven boards, and junior guard Marcel Smith came off the bench to score 10 points and had out three assists.
 
Hameed Ali led TAMU-CC (14-14, 11-4) with 13 points and four assists, and Brandon Pye added 11 points. Zane Knowles posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while John Jordan had eight points, six rebounds, four assists to go with nine turnovers for the Islanders.
 
TAMU-CC shot 53 percent, but only 1-of-4 from 3-point range, and 13-for-20 from the free throw line. HBU shot 39 percent, including 6-for-19 from long distance, and 9-for-11 from the line. The Islanders outrebounded the Huskies, 38-27, but HBU forced TAMU-CC into 21 turnovers.
 
The first half got off to a slow start as Lewis' 3-pointer with 15:24 remaining game HBU a 4-3 lead. TAMU-CC answered with a putback by Knowles to regain a one-point lead. Lewis weaved through the defense for a layup and freshman guard Reveal Chukwujekwu knocked down a jumper to put the Huskies up by three, but Ali hit a long two to make it 8-7 at the midway point of the period.
 
Joy Williamson, who had eight points and seven boards, grabbed a loose ball wound up with an easy dunk, then Ali hit another jumper to put the Islanders ahead, 11-8. Smith answered back with an off-balance shot to cut HBU's deficit to one. Thomas made a layup for TAMU-CC, but Smith buried a three to tie the game, 13-13, with 8:03 on the clock. Reshawn Thomas powered inside for a layup and Jeff Beverly made a fadeway to give TAMU-CC a four-point advantage, but sophomore forward Cody Joyce drove inside for a bucket for HBU.
 
The Islanders scored five-straight to take a 22-15 lead at the five-minute mark, but Vilde took a Jimmy Barton entry pass out of the air and laid it in for two, then freshman forward Colter Lasher founded him on a similar play to cut TAMU-CC's lead to three. The Islanders scored seven-straight to go up by 10 with 1:32 left, but sophomore forward Dauson Womack drove in hard for a layup and the Huskies made a steal with two seconds left and went into the half trailing, 29-21.
 
A three by Pye and a layup by Williamson gave TAMU-CC a 14-point lead with 15:24 to go in the second half, but Crayton drilled a three from the corner, then Smith picked Jordan clean and dished to Womack for an easy two to make it a nine-point game. After Thomas made a layup for TAMU-CC, Lewis nailed a three, Smith made a layup high off the glass, then hit a three to cut the Islanders' lead to 49-46 with 9:12 to go. Joyce knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game, but Williamson finally ended the run with a bank off the window.
 
A short jumper by Pye put TAMU-CC back up by five, but Lasher answered with a 15-footer and went up-and-under for a layup to once again get HBU within one. Knowles made one-of-two from the line, then Lewis found Vilde for a dunk to tie it, 54-54, with 4:43 left.
 
Knowles converted a three-point play that sparked an 8-0 run, but the Huskies wouldn't go away as Crayton scored seven-straight points on four free throws and a three with 36 seconds to go to make the score 64-61. After Smith missed a long 3-point try with 11 seconds on the clock that would have made it a one-point game, Thomas put the game away with a pair of free throws.
 
The Huskies return to action when they host Arlington Baptist in a non-conference matchup Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Sharp Gym.