HOUSTON – The HCU men's basketball team played the Rice Owls in the
Darius Lee Memorial Classic on Monday evening, honoring the fallen Husky, with the host Owls emerging with a 76-67 win over the Huskies. Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University (HBU), underwent a name change in September 2022.
The Huskies (1-5), with a number of
Darius Lee's family members in attendance from New York, came out on fire. HCU opened the game knocking down 6-of-9 from three for a 20-6 lead less than eight minutes in while holding the Owls (4-2) to just 2-of-14 from the floor. For the rest of the half, the Huskies kept Rice from making any sort of meaningful run and led by 17 five different times, including taking a 41-24 advantage into the half.
The second half started with the Owls scoring the first 12 points, pulling within 41-36, in a 3:15 stretch that saw the Huskies called for five fouls to none against Rice. The two teams then traded buckets before a
Sam Hofman triple followed by a fast break layup by Pierce Bazil following a long rebound on a Rice miss on the ensuing possession put HCU back ahead by 10, 48-38, with 14:32 to play.
Maks Klanjscek hit a trey at the 13:51 mark to again push the HCU lead to double-figures, 51-40, but the Owls scored the next eight points to cut it down to a three-point ballgame.
Brycen Long responded with a three followed by a jumper by Hofman to again give the Huskies an eight-point lead with 11 minutes left.
Rice then went on a 14-4 run, capped by a Mekhi Mason and-one, to go up 62-60 at the 6:51 mark. Bazil knocked down a three to answer the Rice run, putting HCU back on top 63-62, but the Owls scored the next eight to gain a lead they wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way.
Bazil, a freshman, posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. His 10 assists were the most in a single game by a Southland Conference player so far this season and tied for the fourth-most by a Husky in a single-game since the program's return to Division I in 2007. Hofman scored a team-high 18 points, connecting on 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-8 from three, and led the team with nine rebounds. Long finished with 14 points and Klanjscek added 12.
Rice held a 36-34 advantage on the boards and forced 14 HCU turnovers while committing just seven. The Owls were led by Mason, who finished with 25 points. HCU finished the night shooting 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the field and 43.3 percent (13-of-30) from long-range. The Huskies have shot at least 40 percent from three in five of six games so far this season.
Prior to the start of the game, Rice welcomed members of
Darius Lee's family on to the floor to recognize them and present them with a donation to the DLee23 Foundation. The foundation's stated mission is "To carry on the legacy of
Darius Lee; working in the spirit of excellence to help individuals secure promising futures."
The Huskies hit the road for a post-Thanksgiving matchup in Columbia, Mo. against the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, Nov. 26, morning at 11:00 a.m.
