BEAUMONT, Texas – HBU trailed by as many as 14 in the second half, but was able to fight back to within two before dropping a 72-64 decision at Lamar in Southland Conference basketball Monday night at the Montagne Center.
Junior guard
Anthony Odunsi led the Huskies (11-12, 6-7 SLC) with 12 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists, while sophomore forward
Reveal Chukwujekwu had 11 points and six rebounds. Sophomore forward
Colter Lasher added 10 points, and freshman center
Josh Ibarra also grabbed six boards.
Marcus Owens hit 7-of-10 from the field, including 3-for-6 from deep to finish with 20 points and eight rebounds for Lamar (13-12, 7-6). Anthony Holliday scored 18 to go along with four assists, while Tyran De Lattibeaudiere posted a double-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots. Dontavious Sears scored all seven of the Cardinals' bench points.
Lamar shot 44.0 percent from the field for the game, including 5-for-14 from 3-point range, and went 23-for-31 from the line. HBU shot 42.9 percent from the field, 5-for-18 from behind the arc, and 11-for-19 from the line. The Huskies were outrebounded for only the fifth time this season, 36-34.
Odunsi opened the game with a layup, but Lamar scored the next six, when Odunsi got another easy two. Owens hit a three to extend the Cardinals' lead to 9-4, but Lasher hit a free throw and Chukwujekwu knocked down a pair to get the Huskies back within two. A tip-in by Chukwujekwu tied the game at 11 with just under 15 minutes to go, but Holliday drove hard to hoop to keep Lamar on top.
Vilde drilled a three from the top of the key with 12:52 remaining to give the Huskies their first lead, then neither team scored for more than three minutes, before De Lattibeaudiere made a pair of free throws to put Lamar ahead, then Sears got a steal and a breakaway dunk to make it a three-point game. Odunsi ended a four-minute field goal drought for the Huskies, but De Lattibeaudiere got a tip-in and Owens hit back-to-back threes to put the Cardinals ahead, 25-16, with 6:36 left.
Lasher ended the spurt by drilling a three, but De Lattibeaudiere banked a left-handed hook off the glass. Holliday hit a three and Sears followed a Holliday miss with a dunk to put the Cardinals up by 13 and they took that same margin into halftime, 38-25.
Lamar shot 51.7 percent from the field, hit 4-of-10 from 3-point range, and 4-of-6 from the line in the first half, while HBU shot 40.9 percent, 2-for-8 from long distance, and 5-for-6 from the line. Lasher led the Huskies with eight at the break, while Holliday and Owents had 11 and De Lattibeaudiere had 10 for the Cardinals.
Just as he did in the first half, Odunsi slithered inside for a layup to open the second, but De Lattibeaudiere answered with a short hook. Chukwujekwu scored the Huskies next six points as they still trailed by 10. HBU got within eight, but Holliday converted a three-point play and Sears hit a three that put the Cardinals ahead, 51-37.
The Huskies scored six-straight of their on a layup by Odunsi, a jumper by Crayton and a layup by Lasher after he stole the inbounds pass to make it an eight-point game with 13:18 remaining. Stickler nailed a three, Odunsi scored on an inbounds play, sophomore center
Cody Stetler made one-of-two from the line, then made a three-point play as the HBU outscored Lamar, 9-1, to slice its lead to 57-54 with 6:24 to go.
Owens cut inside for a basket for the Cardinals, then Russell buried a three for the Huskies as they got within two with 5:06 on the clock. Lamar scored the next seven points to put the game away as HBU was held scoreless for more than four minutes, getting back on the board on Ibarra's putback with 54 seconds left.
The Huskies will have a week off, before returning to action when they hit the road to face Incarnate Word Monday in San Antonio.
