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HOUSTON – Junior Braxton Bonds matched his season-best with 19 points to lead HBU but the Huskies fell to visiting Abilene Christian by a score of 82-74 in Southland Conference play in Sharp Gym on Wednesday evening.
 
Early on, an Ian DuBose three-pointer put HBU (4-13, 0-4 SLC) ahead 7-6 but by the 12:36 mark a Jalone Friday layup had given Abilene Christian (11-7, 3-2 SLC) an eight-point lead. A Will Gates Jr. jumper with 7:09 on the clock cut the Huskies' deficit to three but ACU answered with the next eight points to lead 31-20 with 4:22 left in the half. Two minutes later, the Huskies had erased their deficit and a David Caraher three put HBU ahead 32-31 with 2:21 on the clock and the Huskies took a 37-36 lead into the half.
 
A Braxton Bonds layup gave HBU its largest lead of the game, 44-38, less than two and a half minutes into the second period. The Huskies held onto their lead until Jaylen Franklin evened the score at 50-50 with 11:37 left but HBU got back out ahead and again led by six after two Bonds free throws with 7:42 to go. A 9-3 run for the Wildcats was capped by a Drake Green three to even things up again. A DuBose three at the 3:40 mark made the score 68-67 in the Huskies' favor but it was their last lead as ACU closed out the game by out-scoring HBU 15-6.
 
Bonds' 19 points tied his season-high and the junior added seven rebounds and six assists. He was 5-of-9 from the floor and 9-of-12 at the charity stripe. DuBose finished with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 3-of-4 from behind the arc, and pulled down a game-high nine boards. The freshman has scored at least 17 points in all four of the Huskies' Southland games this season.
 
Caraher was 4-of-7 from three and 5-of-11 from the field for 16 points while adding three assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals. Edward Hardt had nine points, seven rebounds and three assists while Jalon Gates pitched in with eight points off the bench.
 
Friday led Abilene Christian with 23 points, connecting on 10-of-17 from the field. Franklin had 22 points and six assists while Jaren Lewis added 16 points for the Wildcats and Green had 11 off the bench.
 
HBU out-rebounded ACU 37-25 and held a 13-2 advantage in second chance points. The Wildcats shot 54.5 percent (30-of-55) for the game while HBU shot at a 43.1 percent (25-of-58) clip.
 
HBU returns to the road for its next two SLC games beginning Saturday, Jan. 13, evening when the Huskies travel to Huntsville, Texas to take on Sam Houston State at 6:15 p.m.