HCU vs. Nicholls
HOUSTON, Texas --- Houston Christian University kicks off the Southland Conference slate when it hosts Nicholls on Saturday afternoon in Sharp Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 pm, with the game the back-end of a doubleheader with the women, who play at 1 pm also against Nicholls.
The Huskies are returning to the hardwood for the first time in two weeks, as they last saw action in a 79-52 loss at Texas A&M in College Station on December 22. HCU enters its 11
th season in the Southland with a 5-5 mark in league openers since joining the conference in 2013.
Just two players,
Marcus Greene and
Bonke Maring, have started every game this season for the men in blue and orange. Six players are averaging over seven points per game and three (
Jay Alvarez, Greene,
Michael Imariagbe) surpass the double-figure plateau, with a fourth, Maring, not far back at 8.5 ppg.
Alvarez, who leads the Huskies at 14.6 points and also grabs 4.6 rebounds, will be making his return to action after missing the past three games. Greene is a shade behind him in scoring at 14.5 points per outing while also pacing the squad with 3.2 assists per game.
Imariagbe's streak of double-double outings was snapped at four in the final game before the break, but he is still averaging 11.7 ppg and team-highs of 8.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. His double-double run was the longest by a Husky since Chris Miller posted six straight from January 24 to February 12 of the 2004-05 season, his second streak of that nature during that campaign. The second run also was part of a 10 in 12 games stretch for Miller, who would go on to lead the nation in caroms that season at 11.2 per game.
HCU and NSU are meeting for the 36
th time overall, with Nicholls holding a 22-14 advantage in the all-time series. The Huskies and Colonels played a pair of barn-burners last season, with Nicholls nipping HCU 92-91 in the waning seconds in Houston, then again 68-64 in Thibodaux. The second game of the conference home-and-home will be played on February 3 at David R. Stopher Gymnasium.
A quintet of double-figure scorers pave the way for the Colonels, now 5-8 overall after returning to action on December 30 with a 74-65 home victory over Mobile. Two forwards, 6'6 Jamal West Jr. (16.5 ppg / 8.8 rpg) and 6'7 Diante Smith (13.6 ppg / 6.3 rpg) headline the offense for first-year head coach and former Colonel, Tevon Saddler.
The game is one of five on the men's side to open up the SLC slate. McNeese and Texas A&M-Commerce kick off the day at 1 pm in Commerce. Other games feature Southeastern at New Orleans, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Incarnate Word and Northwestern State at Lamar.
After the conference opener at home, the Huskies will hit the road for three straight games. That stretch begins with a Monday night trip down the coastline to face TAMUCC, with tip-off versus the Islanders set for 7 pm.
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