HOUSTON -- Houston Christian University fought past a pesky Rockford University on Saturday night, earning an 84-64 victory over the Regents at Sharp Gym. The Huskies pulled away from a tight five-point game with just over 11 minutes remaining, holding the visitors to just 14 points down the stretch to open up a four-game homestand on the right foot.
 
A three-ball from Julian Mackey put the Huskies up 15-6 just over five minutes into the game. The Regents would quickly pull right back into it, as a Noody Lacey three-pointer and a bucket by Cooper Jackson finished a 9-2 burst that cut the lead to 17-15 just before the under-12 media timeout.
 
The two teams would trade buckets for the next four minutes or so, and a three-point play by Micah Swanon drew the visitors to their closest at 31-30 with 4:54 to go in the first frame. A layup by Demari Williams was followed by a dunk from Trent Johnson, and moments later a jam by Elijah Brooks had pushed the lead back to seven, 39-32 with 3:16 left before the break.
 
A pair of free throws by Ivan Reynolds preceded a third three-pointer of the first half from Peyton Rogers as the Huskies forged a 44-36 lead going into intermission.
 
The visitors from Illinois wouldn't go quietly into the evening. A jumper in the lane by Cooper Jackson capped a 9-4 spurt out of the break, pulling the Regents to within three once again, 48-45 at the 14:51 mark. RU would stay within five for the next three minutes, the final time on a Lacey three-ball bringing their deficit to 55-50.
 
From there, the Huskies began to assert themselves. A three-pointer from Porter Bazil jump-started a 12-4 run, a burst that was highlighted by seven points from Elijah Brooks with the final pair coming on a nifty move to the bucket that gave HCU a 13-point advantage with 6:39 to play.
 
A beautiful alley oop combination from Brooks to Bryson Dawkins provided one of the final highlights of the afternoon. It was academic from that point, as the Huskies watched the lead grow to as many as 22 down the stretch.
 
The Huskies were paced three players in double-digits, two setting career-highs in the process. Elijah Brooks had 21 on 6-9 from the floor and 9-10 from the charity stripe to lead all players on the evening. The junior from Topeka, Kansas also had six rebounds and three assists. Bryson Dawkins matched his career-best set in the opener, as he recorded 18 points and had five boards, while Peyton Rogers knocked down a career-best three triples and came one point short of his career-high with 13 points.
 
Demari Williams chipped in nine points while Julian Mackey had eight points, three caroms and a career-best six assists. Trent Johnson added seven points and six rebounds.
 
Micah Swanson led the Regents with 20 points and six rebounds. Noody Lacey and Cooper Jackson each had 12 in the losing effort.
 
HCU evens its record at 2-2 on the young season. The Huskies continue the four-game homestand next Friday when they welcome cross-town rival Rice University to Sharp Gym. Tip-off against the Owls is slated for 7 pm.
 
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