HCU vs. Northwestern State
Houston Christian University finishes a quick two-game Southland set with a matinee against the Demons of Northwestern State University on Saturday. Tip-off at Sharp Gymnasium is set for 3:30 pm. The Huskies were one of five winners on the opening night of conference play, with all five games decided by four points or less. It is just the second time since HCU joined the SLC that the league slate has started in earnest prior to the Christmas break.
HCU built up a big halftime lead then held off a furious second-half surge
to capture an 83-79 victory over East Texas A&M University in the Southland Conference opener for both clubs. HCU never trailed in the contest but watched that large lead dwindle all the way to two before
Julian Mackey hit six straight free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
The Huskies built a 15-point lead in the first half, then matched it again early in the second. The lead would remain at nine or more for the first eight minutes of the second frame before the Lions began to methodically claw back into the game. Up 66-63 with five to go,
Julian Mackey hit a three from the corner and
Peyton Rogers followed with a tip-in to push the lead back to eight, but the visitors kept coming. A TJ Thomas three with nine seconds to go cut the lead to two, before two pressure charity shots from Mackey sealed the deal.
Bryson Dawkins posted a career-best 22 points for the Huskies to lead a trio of double-digit scorers, while also tying for team-high honors with a career-high seven boards. The Dothan, Alabama native also set a new personal high with his four three-pointers made on the evening.
Julian Mackey put up all 20 of his points in the second half for his third-straight 20-point night, finishing a career-best 10-11 from the foul line.
Elijah Brooks had 12 points, while
Trent Johnson had a career-high nine points and four boards.
HCU is now 3-6 overall and 1-0 in SLC play. The win over ETAMU snapped a tough four-game losing streak in which all four defeats were by a combined 14 points. The victory also saw HCU set season-bests in all three levels of shooting, going 52% from the floor, 53% from the arc and 77% from the line. HCU is seeking its first 2-0 start in league play since opening up the 2015-16 SLC slate with eight straight victories.
The Huskies are led by first-year head coach
Craig Doty, who was hired as the ninth head coach in school history back in March as the program is now in its 59th season. Doty brings 12 years of head coaching experience to the HCU sidelines, having coached on the NJCAA, NAIA and NCAA Division II levels while capturing three national titles along the way.
Julian Mackey now leads a trio of Huskies in double-digits on the season at 14.1 per game, and is second on the squad in assists at 2.1. His three straight 20-point outings (NAU, UTSA and ETAMU) makes him the first HCU player with three consecutive 20's since Darius Lee averaged 26.5 points and shot 54% over a four- game conference stretch from January 29-February 12 of 2022. The senior transfer from Georgia State had his first career 20-point effort at Texas in the second game of the season, giving him four total on the year. His 28 points in the loss to Northern Arizona set a new career best.
Dawkins career-night bumped him to second on the club in scoring at 12.3, with Brooks just behind at 11.3 ppg. The pair is tied for the team-lead in rebounding at 4.2 per game.
HCU faces Northwestern State for the 43rd time on Saturday, with the Demons holding a 23-19 lead in the all-time series. The Huskies won five of six meetings with NSU from 2014-19, with the visitors from Natchitoches reclaiming the lead after taking eight of the past 10 over the past five seasons.
Northwestern State (3-5 / 1-0 SLC) comes into the game fresh off a 72-70 victory at Incarnate Word Thursday, a game similar to HCU's win over ETAMU. NSU held as much as an 18-point lead before UIW put forth a furious rally to retake the lead. The Demons held the Cardinals scoreless for the final two minutes to hang on for the hard-earned road victory. The Demons are led by Rick Cabrera, now in his second season roaming the sidelines of Prather Coliseum.
NSU is paced on offense by Jon Sanders II, a 6'2 transfer guard from Coastal Carolina who is averaging 13.6 points. 6'7 JUCO transfer Addison Patterson averages 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for Northwestern, which is looking for its first 2-0 start to league play since the 2012-13 season.
In games played on December 7, the Huskies hold a 10-11 overall mark. The last time HCU played on this date was an 84-67 victory over Champion Christian in 2021. One of the more notable games in school history occurred on December 7, when the No. 10 Huskies defeated No. 5 Mountain State (WV) 136-130 in overtime during the Space City Classic. That game set a then Sharp Gym record for combined points with 266, and also saw the late Rod Nealy become the first player in school history to put a 50 in the official scorebook. The 6'6 forward from Smiley High went for 50 points and 20 boards on the evening in leading the Huskies to a 43rd straight home victory. HCU would finish that season 31-3 overall and ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Following this pair of conference games, the Huskies will take a 10-day hiatus which includes Finals week. HCU will not return to action until December 17 at ULM, the first of three straight road games that finish off the non-conference schedule prior to the Christmas holidays.
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