BEAUMONT, Texas – HCU took a 45-38 lead into the half but Lamar had a huge second half to down the Huskies' men's basketball team, 91-75, in Southland Conference play on Thursday night at the Montagne Center.
The early-going saw multiple ties and lead changes with the score coming even at 8-8 at the 14:07 mark. Over the next three minutes, the Huskies (8-19, 5-9 SLC) used a pair of
Brycen Long threes to get out to a 16-11 lead. A
Maks Klanjscek triple with 8:42 left in the half again put HCU up by five, 20-15, but on the next possession a Terry Anderson three sparked a 7-0 Lamar (9-18, 5-9 SLC) run that put the Cardinals ahead 22-20.
Things remained tight and following a Nate Calmese three that put LU ahead 31-29 with just under five minutes to go in the half,
Pierce Bazil and Klanjscek drained three-pointers on back-to-back possessions for a 35-31 lead. Calmese then made a layup but Bazil responded with three free throws after drawing a foul on a three-point attempt.
Calmese responded with a three the next time down the floor to cut the HCU lead to 38-36 at the 2:25 mark. The score remained there until the final minute of the half before Long knocked down a three from the corner and drew a foul, converting the and-one for a four-point play and a 42-36 lead. Cody Pennebaker drew a foul for Lamar with just six seconds to go in the half after an HCU turnover and hit both free throws.
Andrew King brought the ball down the floor in a hurry and hit the team's ninth three of the half just ahead of the buzzer to put the Huskies up 45-38 at the intermission.
The Cardinals kept things close early and after a Klanjscek three put HCU ahead 55-50 but a 17-3 run left the Huskies trailing, 67-58, with nine minutes left. A Bazil layup snapped a nearly four-minute scoreless stretch for HCU to make it a seven-point game but Calmese answered with a three and a fast break dunk to give LU a 72-60 lead at the 7:41 mark. The Huskies didn't any closer than 10 the rest of the way.
Klanjscek led the Huskies with 21 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field. The senior was 8-of-9 from the foul line and 3-of-9 from three. Long ended the night with 17 points, connecting on 5-of-10 from three. He now has 80 made three-pointers on the season, tying him for seventh on the program's single-season made threes list.
Bazil added 16 points for HCU, making 5-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from three and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. King had nine points, six assists and four rebounds while
Sam Hofman led all players with nine rebounds.
HCU finished the night shooting 44.9 percent (22-of-49) overall and 48 percent (12-of-25) from three-point range.
Calmese led the Cardinals with a career-high 32 points behind 11-of-17 shooting. Anderson finished with 24 points and eight rebounds for Lamar. The Cardinals shot 65.4 percent (34-of-52) for the game and out-rebounded the Huskies, 33-24.
The Huskies and Cardinals will turn around play again on Saturday, Feb. 18, in Sharp Gym to wrap up the season series. That game is slated to tip-off at 7:00 p.m.
