COLLEGE STATION, Texas --- Houston Christian University fell to Texas A&M University 79-52 in Reed Arena on Friday evening, a game that finished off the non-conference slate.
Both teams were sluggish in the early going. The Aggies would break through first, scoring the first six points of the game before
Tristan Moore nailed a three-pointer to get HCU on the board. A
Michael Imariagbe lay-up off a dime from
Bonke Maring cut the score to 6-5 at the first media.
Just seconds after Maring picked up his second foul, a bucket by Moore would tie things just up at seven, but the two teams continued to struggle offensively. An Imariagbe dunk off a drive and dump off from
Marcus Greene pulled the Huskies to within one 10-9 with 11:50 to play.
After eight of 12 points from the free-throw line to start the contest, the Aggies finally got the lid off the bucket when Hayden Hefner nailed two triples in the span of just over a minute to push TAMU up by 10, 19-9 with 10:11 to go in the half.
Marcus Greene would hit two free throws to stop the spurt and a moment later hit a step-back three-ball to cut the lead to a touchdown, 21-14 at the under-eight.
Pierce Bazil picked up a loose ball for a floater to cut the lead to six. HCU would get three straight defensive stops with the final one resulting in two free throws by
Nate Hudson that cut the lead to four 22-18 with six minutes to go. The Aggies would go back to the free-throw line for their next five points, pushing the lead back to nine. Then, after a free throw from
Pierce Bazil, Hefner hit a runner off the glass and a breakaway dunk by Jace Carter pushed the Aggies lead to a dozen with 3:09 remaining in the first frame.
A big offensive rebound by
Nate Hudson led to a step-back mid-range by Greene that cut the lead to 10, but the Aggies responded again with a triple from Carter and a slice to the bucket by Manny Obeseki, extending the TAMU advantage to 36-21. The Aggies would head to halftime ahead 40-21.
The second half began much like the first with neither team able to find their offensive bearings. A corner three-ball by Moore off a drift pass from Greene got the Huskies on the board two minutes into the second frame and a
Nate Hudson reverse two minutes later cut the lead to 20 at the first media.
HCU would keep fighting through a very physical Texas A&M defense, but couldn't get shots to fall. The Aggies pushed the lead to 23 on an Andersson Garcia three-pointer, which began a 16-1 run over the next six minutes. That run was finally stopped after consecutive buckets from
Marcus Greene on a layup and three-pointer which were followed by another three-pointer from Moore. The Aggies answered with a Wade Taylor IV triple and coasted the rest of the way.
One game after being whistled for just five total fouls at SMU, the Huskies watched as the Aggies marched to the free throw line to the tune of a 28-38 night, offsetting an HCU defensive effort that held the hosts to just 34.4% shooting from the floor. The Aggies out-rebounded the Huskies 49-35, and HCU shot just 33.3% on the evening.
Houston Christian was led by
Marcus Greene, who scored 18 points and had four assists.
Tristan Moore hit 3-6 from long range and finished with a season-high 14 points.
Michael Imariagbe had his double-double streak snapped, fouling out with four points and six rebounds.
The Aggies (8-4) were led by Hayden Hefner's 24 points, while Wade Taylor IV and Jace Carter each scored 10. Andersson Garcia had a game-high 19 rebounds, while Carter also hit double-digits with a dozen.
HCU (2-9) will now take off for the Christmas and New Year's holiday break. The Huskies will not return to the hardwood until January 6, when they open up Southland Conference play at home against Nicholls.
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