HOUSTON – HBU came into Monday's night's game ranked 14
th in the nation in rebound margin and once again dominated the glass in an 84-61 victory over Central Arkansas in Southland Conference basketball at Sharp Gym.
The Huskies (8-8, 3-3 SLC) had four players score in double figures, led by junior guard
Anthony Odunsi, who went 9-for-10 from the free throw line to score 15 points, scoring in double figures for a sixth-straight game. Senior guard
Tyler Russell had 11 points, while sophomore forward
Colter Lasher scored 10 and senior center
Ricmonds Vilde came off the bench to post a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore center
Cody Stetler chipped in with six points, seven rebounds and four blocks off the bench.
Senior guard
Marcel Smith nailed a pair of 3-pointers, the 100
th and 101
st of his career, which ranks ninth all-time at HBU, and he finished with eight points. He also had two assists, which moves him into 14
th all-time at HBU with 255 for his career. Sophomore guard
Reveal Chukwujekwu and freshman center
Josh Ibarra also had eight points.
UCA (0-16, 0-5) also had four in double figures, with Jake Zuilhof going 5-for-9 from the field and 5-for-7 from the line to finish with 15 points. Mike Martin had 14 points and led the Bears with seven rebounds and six assists, while Thatch Unrush added 11 points and Jordan Howard chipped in with 10.
HBU shot 54 percent from the field, including 3-for-8 from behind the arc, while UCA shot 43 percent and went 7-for-19 from 3-point range. The Huskies had a huge advantage from the free throw line, hitting 27-of-30, while the Bears went 10-for-18. HBU outrebounded UCA, 42-19, and had an 18-2 advantage on second-chance points and outscored the Bears, 42-22, in the paint.
UCA jumped out to an early 11-8 lead on a jumper by Boo Milligan with 14:18 remaining, but HBU went on a 9-0 run, getting a layup by Stetler, a three from Russell, a baseline jumper by sophomore forward
Alex Fountain and capped by a layup from Vilde, to take a six-point lead.
The Bears got back to within three on a trey by Martin at the 8:26 mark, but the Huskies held them scoreless for more than five minutes and scored ten-straight points – all on free thows – to extend their lead to 31-18. Howard ended the run with a jumper with 3:07 to go, but Lasher scored six points late as HBU outscored UCA, 8-2, to end the half and take a 39-22 lead into the break.
Early in the second half, Chukwujekwu took a feed from Russell for a layup, Odunsi hit one-of-two from the line, then Russell converted a three-point play as the Huskies took a 52-29 lead with 16:08 left. Smith stopped a seven-point UCA spurt with career three No. 100 at the 12:05 mark, then he added another with 9:38 on the clock and Vilde followed with a pair of free throws to push HBU's lead to 24, which would be its largest lead of the game.
The Huskies return to action when they host Lamar Saturday at 7 p.m. at Sharp Gym. As part of its 50
th Season celebration, HBU will announce and honor its All-Decade Team for the 1980s during the game. The contest will have an '80s theme and prizes will be given out for fans with the best costumes.
