HOUSTON – HCU never trailed in the Huskies' Southland Conference opener against East Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon in Sharp Gym, leading by as many as 19 before holding off a Lions rally for a 62-56 final score.
The Huskies (3-5, 1-0 SLC) came out showing a stingy defense, limiting the Lions (3-7, 0-1 SLC) to just one made field goal in the first quarter as they built a 16-3 lead through the first 10 minutes.
Jo Oly contributed seven of the team's first quarter points.
In the second, the Lions cut their deficit down to nine, 23-14, after a pair of Cora Horvath layups midway through the quarter. The Huskies responded with an 11-2 run, however, over the next two minutes and 15 seconds for their largest lead of the half, 34-16, at the 2:53 mark. ETAMU answered with a pair of threes to trim that lead down but
Victoria Dixon connected on a pull-up jumper in the final minute to send the teams into the locker rooms with the score 36-22.
HCU kept the visitors at arm's length throughout the third quarter, leading by double-digits and pushing its lead to 19 on two occasions.
Kierra Prim dropped in a layup following a turnover with 3:37 on the clock to give the Huskies a 48-29 lead and cap a six-point run. Less than a minute later,
Amy Cotton sank a pair of free throws to again make it a 19-point game, 50-31, at the 2:59 mark. The Lions closed out the period with a 6-0 run, though, to bring the score to 50-37 heading into the final quarter.
ETAMU then opened the fourth by scoring the first seven points of the period and cutting the HCU lead to just six, 50-44.
Tiffany Tullis broke the Lions run, connecting on one-of-two from the foul line but ETAMU scored on each of its next two possessions, including a three from J'Unti Franklin, for just a two-point game, 51-49, with 5:04 to play.
Tullis scored on the next possession for HCU and two minutes later
Hannah Fields knocked down a three from the corner to put the Huskies back ahead by seven, 56-49. Jordyn Newsome quickly knocked down a triple of her own on the other end but pull the Lions back within four. On HCU's next trip down the floor,
Erin Maguire was fouled while shooting a three and proceeded to make all three free throw attempts. The Huskies kept their lead to at least five the rest of the way.
Maguire matched her career-high with 17 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the floor, making 6-of-6 from the foul line, and dishing out a career-best six assists. Tullis, meanwhile, recorded her second double-double of the year with 11 points and 14 rebounds, connecting of 5-of-7 from the field.
Prim finished the day with season-highs of 11 points and nine rebounds while Oly ended the day with 11 points and five rebounds.
Amy Cotton returned from an injury with added seven points, four assists and three steals off the bench. The Huskies out-rebounded the visitors, 37-33.
HCU stays home for the next three, first hosting St. Thomas (TX) on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6:00 p.m. before taking on Sam Houston on Friday, Dec. 20, and then picking back up in SLC play on Sunday, Dec. 29, against Northwestern State.
