Houston Christian University opens a two-game homestand on Saturday, hosting the University of the Incarnate Word in the 10th annual "Hustlin' Husky" Throwback Game. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 pm as the back end of a doubleheader with the women.
HCU began wearing the "running dog" jerseys and candy stripe shorts during the 2014-15 50th anniversary season. The uniforms are an homage to the 1973-74 squad that adorned both home and away sets during that season.The Huskies have gone 6-3 in the uniforms, which have become nationally recognized over the nine seasons of being worn.
The Huskies are coming off a tough two-game stretch in Louisiana with losses at Nicholls and New Orleans, and have lost four in a row overall. Included in that four is a loss at Incarnate Word, a game in which the Huskies led by six with three minutes to go before a 13-3 game-ending run by the Cardinals gave them a 79-75 victory.
Jay Alvarez continues to pace the Huskies offense, averaging 16.3 points per game in conference play, fourth-best in the league.
Marcus Greene is 14
th in the Southland at 14.0 per night, and also ranks 11
th in assists at 2.9 per game.
Michael Imariagbe posted his 10
th double-double of the season on Monday at New Orleans, becoming the first player to have double-digit double-double outings in a single season since Reveal Chukwujekwu recorded 11 in the 2016-17 season. Imariagbe is third in the SLC in boards per contest at 9.0 a game, while
Bonke Maring comes in eighth in the conference at 6.8 per game.
UIW is paced by a trio of double-figure scorers, the foremost being Sky Wicks, a 6'6 guard who is averaging 14.1 ppg and 7.2 rpg in SLC play. Josiah Hammons averages 12.3 points while hitting at a 36.8% clip from the arc, and Alex Anderson rounds out the group at 11.8 points per.
Saturday afternoon will be the 40
th meeting between the two schools. The win by the Cardinals on January 27 in San Antonio pushed their lead in the all-time series to 25-14. HCU does hold a 13-10 lead in the series since the two teams began play against each other in the Southland, including having won 12 of the last 17.
Now 10 games into the conference slate with just eight games to go, the Huskies sit in a tie for seventh place with New Orleans after Monday's loss to the Privateers. The two teams are just one game behind Northwestern State, and a half-game ahead of UIW.
The quick two-game homestand concludes when league-leading McNeese comes to Fondren Road on Monday night.
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