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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – On Wednesday evening at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, the HBU men's basketball team came back from a 14-point deficit to tie the game with 3:22 to go but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi pulled away late for a 90-79 HBU loss.
 
The Islanders (12-9, 5-5 SLC) jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the early-going but HBU (8-12, 4-6 SLC) pulled back to 6-6 after a pair of Colter Lasher free throws less than four minutes in. A three and a layup from Lasher on back-to-back possessions gave HBU a 15-11 lead at the 15:46 mark but the Islanders worked their way back to an 18-17 advantage with 10:28 to go on a Kareem South layup. The game remained tight until HBU gained its largest lead to that point after a three-point play from Reveal Chukwujekwu with 5:24 on the clock put the Huskies ahead 29-24.
 
HBU kept its lead until an Ehab Amin three knotted the score once again at 33-33 with a little more than three minutes to go. TAMUCC used a seven-point burst to again lead by four, 37-33, but HBU responded with a Braxton Bonds layup and a mid-range jumper from Chukwujekwu to tie things at 37-37. Atif Russell dropped in a layup with eight seconds remaining but South knocked down a deep three at the buzzer to give the Islanders a 40-39 advantage at the half.
 
In the second period, the Islanders opened things with a 10-4 run for a 50-43 lead at the first media timeout. HBU wouldn't get its first field goal until Cody Stetler dropped in a layup with 12:50 to go but Rashawn Thomas immediately responded with a jumper for a 61-47 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi lead. Coming out of a time out, Asa Cantwell knocked down a three to cut the lead back below double-digits, 68-61, with 7:36 remaining.
 
Cantwell nailed two more threes within a minute of each other to tie the game at 74-all heading into the final media timeout of the game. After trading baskets, TAMUCC got a bucket from Thomas and a free throw for a three-point play and a 79-76 lead. Thomas hit a jumper to go up five but Cantwell answered with his fourth trey of the night to cut it to two. That was the last basket the Huskies would get as the Islanders pulled away over the final 1:23.
 
Lasher led HBU with 21 points, connecting on 7-of-18 from the floor and 3-of-6 from three. He also led the team with five assists while pulling down five rebounds. Cantwell finished the night with 12 points, hitting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Bonds ended the night with 10 points, a career-best and team-leading eight boards, four assists and a pair of steals. Atif Russell also added 12 points and eight boards off the bench for the Huskies.
 
Thomas led all players with 34 points and 12 rebounds for the Islanders with 27 of those points coming in the second half. Kareem South added 22 for a Corpus squad that got just one point from its bench. The Islanders took advantage of 16-9 in the turnover department, turning the 16 HBU turnovers into 22 points. HBU finished the night shooting 49.2 percent (29-of-59) for the game.
 
HBU will return home to host a rematch with the Cardinals of Incarnate Word on Saturday evening in Sharp Gym at 7:00 p.m.