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MBB: Huskies square off with Aggies to finish non-conference slate

Final contest before long holiday break for HCU; SLC play begins January 6



HCU at Texas A&M Houston Christian University travels to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies on Friday evening at Reed Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm in the final contest of the non-conference portion of the 2023-24 schedule.
 
HCU dropped an 89-53 decision to SMU on Tuesday night in Moody Coliseum. The Huskies couldn't get untracked offensively and never recovered from big runs by the Mustangs to start each half.
 
The Huskies scored first on a layup by Bonke Maring, but SMU responded with a 15-2 run, capped off by a Zhuric Phelps three-pointer from the corner that forced an HCU timeout before the first media. The second half got off to a similar start as the first, as SMU used a 14-7 run to open things and cruised to the victory.
 
Michael Imariagbe led the way for the Huskies, recording his fourth straight double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. After grabbing 31 rebounds in the first six games, he has now averaged 14.5 over the last four, including 22 on the offensive backboard.
 
Marcus Greene finished with 12 points, three rebounds and two assists, while Pierce Bazil had a dozen as well. Porter Bazil chipped in eight points and six rebounds, both career-highs.
 
HCU has had just two players start every game this season in Greene and Maring, but has six players averaging over seven points per game and three in double-digits, with a fourth, Maring, not far back at 9.1 ppg.
 
Jay Alvarez leads the Huskies at 14.6 points, and also grabs 4.6 rebounds. Marcus Greene is right behind at 14.2, while also leading the team with 3.1 assists per game in addition to 3.7 rebounds. 
 
The four straight double-double outings have helped Imariagbe up his scoring and rebounding averages over the past two weeks, as he now sits at 12.5 ppg and 8.9 rebounds, while also blocking 1.3 shots per game.
 
Texas A&M comes into the game at 7-4 overall but has not played since last Saturday's tough 70-66 loss to #3 Houston at the Halal Guys's Showcase at the Toyota Center. The Aggies had been ranked as high as #12 in the nation before falling out of the poll on December 10.
 
The Aggie offense is led by three players in double-figure scoring. Wade Taylor IV paces the team at 18.6 points while also grabbing 3.1 rebounds and passing out 4.8 helpers per. Henry Coleman III averages 12.6 points and pulls in a team-best 9.1 rebounds while shooting 62% from the field. Tyrece Radford closes out the trio with 12.3 points per.
 
The two teams are meeting for the 11th time overall, with TAMU holding a 10-0 lead in the all-time series. Only two of those meetings have come in Ron Cottrell's tenure at HCU, the most recent in 2021-22, a 73-39 Aggie win in College Station.
 
Non-conference action concludes with the Texas A&M game. HCU will take off for the Christmas break and not return to the hardwood again not until January 6, when Southland Conference play begins against Nicholls in Sharp Gym.
 
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