HOUSTON --- Houston Christian University held off a late surge from rival University of the Incarnate Word with one of its own to close out and capture an exciting 81-76 victory on Saturday afternoon in the opener of a four-game homestand. Playing for the first time at home in over a month, the Huskies held the Cardinals to just two points over the final 3:46 of the game, finishing the game with an 8-2 run that handed them consecutive victories for the first time this season.
 
After an administrative tech prior to the jump gave HCU a 1-0 margin, the Huskies pushed the lead to 9-6 on a Julian Mackey three-ball just before the first media timeout. The Cardinals would come right back to grab a 10-9 advantage on a steal and coast-to-coast gliding score by Jayden Williams with 14:17 to play.
 
Mackey then hit two free throws and a three from the corner to push HCU in front 14-12, but UIW responded with an 18-10 march over the next seven minutes. Two straight buckets from Jordan Pyke gave the Cards the lead and moments later Davion Bailey hit from deep to push that margin to it's largest of the game at six, 30-24.
 
The Huskies would come right back. Trent Johnson got a tip-in on his own miss, and Bryson Dawkins nailed a step-back three. Demari Williams then got a strong and-one finish to cut the lead to two, 34-32 with 4:14 to play. After the media, Mackey scored six straight and another jumper by Dawkins with 50 ticks remaining finished off the 16-4 run to reverse UIW's six-point edge into the same for HCU. The Huskies would end up taking a 41-36 lead into the intermission.
 
Four straight points from the visitors started the second frame to cut the HCU lead to one, but Peyton Rogers answered that spurt with one of his own, getting a tip-in and then a three-ball from the corner to give the Huskies a four-point lead just two minutes in.
 
The two teams would then began to trade baskets with neither being able to separate. Jalin Anderson hit a mid-range jumper to push Incarnate Word up four, 50-46, but HCU came right back as D'Aundre Samuels blocked a shot which led out to a run-out hammer from Bryson Dawkins. Porter Bazil then hit a layup in the paint to knot the game up at 50 at the 13:28 mark.
 
The Huskies tried to pull away. After UIW took a 52-50 lead on Dylan Hayman's layup, Dawkins and Samuels combined to score the next 19 HCU points. Dawkins connected from deep and then assisting on a corner triple by Samuels to push HCU ahead by six. Dawkins would hit from long range once more before seven straight points from Samuels on a two jumpers and a banked three-ball. The spectacular two-man offensive burst was finished off by Dawkins, who hit his third three of the run giving the Huskies a 69-62 lead with 7:25 to go.
 
The lead would extend to eight, 73-65 on a driving layup by Elijah Brooks with five minutes left exactly. The Cardinals then began their last attack of the night. Hayman connected on a three, and Davion Bailey scored six straight on three free throws and a three-ball which capped a 9-0 run and put the visitors back in front, 74-73 with 3:46 to play.
 
HCU stormed back once time, this one decisive. Elijah Brooks hit on a driving layup with 2:42 left to grab the lead before Hayman answered right back with a jumper in the paint. Then with just under two to go, Brooks took matters into his own hands. With the shot clock winding down he attacked the paint again, finishing a tough off-balance kiss of the glass to give HCU the lead back for good, 77-76.
 
Trent Johnson hit a jumper in the paint and a free throw and Dawkins hit one of two with 10 seconds to go to provide the final margin, as the Huskies held the Cardinals to two points over the final 3:46 to close out the win.
 
The Huskies were blistering from the field in their return to Sharp, Texas as they hit for season-highs from the floor and three-point line. HCU was an efficient 27-50 for 54% from the field and matched a single-game best with 11 triples at a 52% clip.
 
A quartet of players dented double-digits for HCU, just the third time this season and first since November 25 against Eastern Michigan. Bryson Dawkins led the way, matching his career-high of four three-pointers to score 17 points while also pulling down six rebounds.
 
Julian Mackey had 16 points and Elijah Brooks had his second straight solid all-around game, posting 15 points, team-highs of seven boards and four assists and one pilfer. D'Aundre Samuels hit three triples and went 5-6 from the floor to microwave his way to 13 points in just 11 minutes and Demari Williams came off the pine for a solid defensive effort, collecting two steals to go with his eight points.
 
UIW falls to 9-7 overall and 2-3 in the Southland. The Cardinals, who shot 53% from the floor but just 31% from distance, were led by Jordan Pyke's 27 points and seven rebounds. Dylan Hayman scored 19 points while the league's second-leading scorer Davion Bailey was held to just nine points before fouling out.  Jalin Anderson added nine points and four assists.  
 
HCU improves to 6-10 overall on the season, and moves over .500 in the league at 3-2. The four-game homestand continues on Monday night when Southland champion and league-leading McNeese State University hits Fondren Road. The Pokes bested Nicholls at home on Saturday afternoon 80-71 to move to 5-0 in the league. Tip-off in Sharp Gymnasium is scheduled for 7 pm.
 
 
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