Follow @HBUBasketball

HOUSTON – David Caraher scored 30 and Jalon Gates added a career-best 26 but HBU came out on the wrong end of an 86-81 decision against McNeese in Southland Conference play on Saturday evening inside Sharp Gym.
 
Caraher, a freshman, finished with his second 30-point performance of the season, with 21 of those coming in the second half, and his third double-double with a team-best 12 rebounds. He was 10-of-16 from the floor, 5-of-9 from three and 5-of-6 from the free throw line, while also adding three assists for the Huskies (4-16, 0-7 SLC).
 
Gates, meanwhile, poured in 21 points in the first half and was 5-of-15 from three for the game, 9-of-19 from the floor. Junior Braxton Bonds ended the night with 13 points, seven assists and four rebounds while Tim Myles added eight rebounds, five points and two blocked shots off the bench.
 
McNeese (7-10, 4-3 SLC) went up 7-1 early after a Stephen Ugochukwu jumper in the paint but an eight-point HBU run a few minutes later that saw Gates score all eight points pushed HBU to a 16-11 lead at the 13:52 mark in the first half. The Huskies held onto the lead over the next six and a half minutes until Richard Laku knocked down a three to give the Cowboys a 27-26 lead with 7:17 left in the half.
 
The Cowboys lead got as high as nine in the first half after a pair of Jarren Greenwood free throws with 2:36 on the clock and the score at 43-34. A Myles free throw cut it to eight and over the final 2:12 Caraher and Gates each scored five to pull the Huskies even with the Cowboys at 45-45.
 
In the second half, McNeese opened with a 7-1 run to lead 52-46 but HBU had an answer with a Caraher three putting the Huskies ahead 57-56 at the 15:01 mark. Two and a half minutes later, with HBU leading by one, McNeese went on a nine-point run to grab a 67-59 lead with 10:51 to go.
 
The Huskies again worked their way back and with 6:26 on the clock, Gates knocked down a trey to go up by three. With 4:42 left in the game the score was tied 76-76 but McNeese out-scored HBU 10-5 to close out the game.
 
Greenwood led McNeese with 21 points, connecting on 6-of-9 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. Quatarrius Wilson gave McNeese a career-high 17 rebounds to go with 11 points for a double-double while Kalob Ledoux added 20 for the Cowboys.
 
HBU finished the game shooting 39.1 percent (27-of-69) and 31.4 percent (11-of-35) from three. McNeese was 30-of-64 (46.9 percent) from the field and 8-of-20 (40 percent) from beyond the arc. The Huskies held a 47-41 advantage on the boards and pulled down 19 offensive boards.
 
The Huskies will host Incarnate Word at home in Sharp Gym on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 7:00 p.m.