NEW ORLEANS ---- Houston Christian University pulled away over the final seven minutes to start off a four-game road stretch with an 86-76 victory over University of New Orleans at Lakefront Arena on Saturday evening.

HCU overcame two dry spells in the first half, then broke away from a 62-all tie in the second frame with a 16-4 run, turning a tight, back-and-forth affair into a cruise down the stretch. The win was the third straight overall and fifth in the last six games for the Huskies, who remain tied for third in the Southland standings approaching the midway point of the conference slate.
 
After a 3-1 homestand, the Huskies looked to get the road trip off a the right foot against a New Orleans team that had won two of its last three. The Privateers got out to an early 6-2 advantage after a three-ball from the league's leading scorer James White before back-to-back three-pointers by Porter Bazil, one from each corner, knotted things at eight. Moments later the hosts would reclaim the lead again 13-12 on a Dae Dae Hunter triple with just over five minutes gone in the contest.
   
HCU would then put together a 16-6 run over the next four minutes. Bazil had a layup and another three, Samuels chipped in a three-ball before Trent Johnson got an offensive board on a missed free throw that led to a spectacular drive down the lane and emphatic finish by Dawkins. His hammer would give the Huskies a 28-19 lead with 11:02 to go in the first half.
   
UNO answered right back as White scored six points and JR Jacobs knocked down a trey to tie things once again, this time at 28 apiece at the 7:42 mark, completing a 9-0 run. The Huskies had a response, going on a 9-2 run over the next 3:46 with two buckets from Elijah Brooks and a corner three from Mason McBride pushing HCU back ahead by a seven-point margin, 37-30 with 3:56 to go in the first frame.
 
Those would be the final points for the visitors before the half, and a steal by Jah Short led to a layup as the clock ran out, capping an eight-point burst to give the Privateers a 38-37 edge at the break.
 
HCU's scoreless stretch would extend for the first two-plus minutes of the second frame before Dawkins hit on a short jump hook at the 17:43 mark. Mason McBride then canned a three off the glass, Peyton Rogers knocked one down from deep and Dawkins scored on both sides of the 16-minute media timeout to tie things up at 48.
 
The two teams would go back-and-forth, trading blows for the next eight minutes or so. A tip-in by Trent Johnson gave HCU a one-point lead, 57-56 before consecutive buckets by Jamond Vincent and James White gave UNO the lead back, 60-58 with 10:10 to play. An offensive putback by Johnson was matched by two free throws from White, knotting things up once more at 62-apiece with 7:27 to play.
 
That would be as close as UNO would get, as the Huskies began to pull away. Johnson connected from deep to give HCU the lead for good, 65-62 at the 7:04 mark, preceding a one-man mission by Bryson Dawkins over the next three minutes. The junior southpaw scored 11 straight points, highlighted by a step-back three with the shot-clock winding down and another rim-rattler off an inbounds play as HCU pushed its advantage into double-figures for the first time. Elijah Brooks capped off the 16-4 spurt with a drive down the middle of the paint for a one-handed tomahawk to push HCU's lead to a dozen, 78-66 at the 2:25 mark.
 
The game saw 11 ties and 11 lead changes over the first 33 minutes before HCU took over, winning its first game this season after trailing at the half. The Huskies blistered the Lakefront Arena nets to the tune of 52% from the floor and 39% from the arc, and won both the battle of the boards (32-26) and the benches (22-3). The Huskies had four players in double-digits for just the fifth time this season but for the third in their last five games.
 
Dawkins went 11-20 from the floor and 5-6 from the charity stripe in posting a career-high 28 points to lead the Huskies. He set new career-highs in field goals made, field goals attempted and free throws made in posting his third 20-point effort of the campaign.
 
Elijah Brooks had 13 points, four boards and five assists. Trent Johnson posted his second straight double-digit game with 11 points and matched a career high with seven rebounds, all coming on the offensive backboard. Porter Bazil also notched career-highs with his three made triples and 11 points. Julian Mackey added seven points, four boards and doled out five assists to tie Brooks for team-high honors.
 
New Orleans shot well, knocking down 51% from the floor and 41% from the line, while also going 15-16 from the stripe. UNO was paced by a trio of players in double-figures, led by the conference's leading scorer White and his game-high 29 points. White played all 40 minutes, going 11-18 from the floor and also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Jamond Vincent added 18 points and Dae Dae Hunter chipped in 15 for the Privateers, now 4-16 overall and 2-7 in the league.
 
Houston Christian University has now won three in a row and five of its last six games to improve to 9-11 overall. HCU now stands at 6-3 to remain in a tie for third in the league, one game behind second-place TAMUCC.
 
The four-game road swing continues on Monday night, as the Huskies travel just north to Hammond to take on Southeastern Louisiana University. Tip time for that game has adjusted and is now set for 6 pm from the University Center. It remains second half of a double-header with the HCU women who play at 4 pm in a rescheduled contest from last Thursday when the entire women's slate across the league was postponed due to the winter storm.
 
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