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HOUSTON – Junior Edward Hardt scored a career-best 16 points for HBU and freshman David Caraher added 17 but HBU dropped its Southland Conference game against Lamar on Wednesday evening inside Sharp Gym by a score of 87-73.
 
HBU (6-22, 2-13 SLC) used an 8-0 run over a two-and-a-half minute stretch to jump out to an 11-3 lead heading into the first media timeout. The Huskies lead got as high as nine after a Braxton Bods three with 13:28 on the clock but the Cardinals (18-11, 10-6 SLC) responded with a 10-point run to take a 17-16 lead just over two minutes later.
 
With 8:01 remaining in the half, Jalon Gates drilled a three to put HBU ahead 23-21 but Lamar's Joey Frenchwood answered with a three of his own to put LU back in the lead. It was a lead Lamar would hang on to the rest of the game, pushing it as high as seven in the first half but HBU's Oliver Lynch-Daniels closed the half with a pair of threes to head into halftime with the Cardinals leading 36-35.
 
Lamar opened the second stanza with an 11-2 run to lead by 10 just two minutes in but the Huskies clawed their way back to within three when a Hardt layup brought the score to 51-48 with 15:28 to go. With just under 10 minutes remaining, the Cardinals had extended that lead to 16 and HBU didn't get any closer than eight the rest of the way.
 
Hardt was 8-of-12 from the floor en route to his new career-high while also matching his career-best on the boards with seven rebounds. The junior also added a pair of blocked shots. Caraher finished 6-of-13 for the night to lead the Huskies with 17 points and his nine rebounds were also a team-high.
 
Lynch-Daniels ended the night with nine points, a career-high six rebounds and four assists off the bench while Bonds had nine points, six assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals. Ian DuBose scored eight with Philip McKenzie adding six, Gates five and Will Gates Jr. three.
 
Nick Garth led the Cardinals with 22 points off the bench while James Harrison scored 20 and Josh Nzeakor had 19 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Lamar held a 43-41 advantage on the boards and won the turnover battle with 14 compared to HBU's 16.
 
The Huskies shot 43.3 percent (29-of-67) for the night while Lamar connected at a 44.8 percent (30-of-67) clip.
 
HBU begins its final road swing of the season on Saturday, Feb. 24, afternoon with a 3:30 p.m. matchup against McNeese in Lake Charles, La. at Burton Coliseum.