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HOUSTON – Senior Darius Lee matched his career-high with 30 points and HBU shot over 50 percent from the floor but it wasn't enough for the Huskies to overcome a program-record three-point performance by the visiting Northwestern State Demons, dropping the Southland Conference matchup in Sharp Gym by a score of 97-87.
 
Northwestern State (7-16, 3-3 SLC) made use of a program record-tying 17 three-pointers to earn the road win over the Huskies (6-13, 2-4 SLC). The Demons connected on nine of their first 10 three-point attempts but HBU was still able to lead by seven with less than 14 minutes to go in the game.
 
The Huskies opened the game taking a 7-2 lead and scored on their first six possessions to push that lead to six, 13-7, less than four minutes in. HBU then scored the next six points for its largest lead of the game, 19-7. The Demons then got hot and made their next seven field goal attempts for an 18-6 run, tying the game at 25-25 halfway through the first half.
 
NSU then slowly extended its lead up to seven, 39-32, before HBU turned right back around and scored the next seven for a 39-39 tie with just over three minutes left in the half. The Demons continued their strong offensive showing to close the half with a 48-43 lead at the break. NSU shot 67.9 (19-of-28) from the floor and 76.9 percent (10-of-13) from three in the half.
 
Darius Lee opened the second half with a triple and after trailing 50-46, the Huskies rattled off a 15-4 run for a 61-54 advantage at the 16:31 mark. HBU's biggest lead of the second half followed a driving layup from Jade Tse, making it a 63-55 ballgame just over a minute later.
 
A pair of Lee free throws brought the score to 65-58 before NSU scored the next nine points to regain the lead, 67-65. The teams then traded leads over the next six minutes with a Lee three putting the Huskies ahead 79-78 with 5:28 to go. The next 14 points went to the Demons, however, as HBU went cold from the floor and feel in too deep a hole to overcome.
 
Lee matched his career-high of 30 points, set last season at home against Northwestern State, on 11-of-17 shooting. The senior was 6-of-7 from the foul line and 2-of-2 from three. He added six rebounds and four steals. The rest of the HBU starters all scored in double-figures with Zach Iyeyemi scoring a season-high 15 and Sam Hofman adding 14. Tse scored 11 and Brycen Long added 10. Long set a new career-best with six assists while Tse had five dimes. Iyeyemi and Hofman had five rebounds each.
 
HBU shot 54.7 percent (29-of-53) from the floor and 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from three while knocking down 74.2 percent (23-of-31) from the charity stripe. The two teams were even in the turnover battle with 15 each while the Demons held a slight 25-24 edge on the boards. Northwestern State shot 65.4 percent (17-of-26) from behind the arc and 61.1 percent (33-of-54) from the field. LaTerrance Reed led NSU with 21 points with Carvell Teasett adding 20. Kendal Coleman posted a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.
 
HBU will don its Hustlin' Husky throwbacks this Saturday, Feb. 5, when the Huskies take on Southeastern inside Sharp Gym at 7:00 p.m.