BEAUMONT, Texas --- Playing for the first time in nearly two weeks, Houston Christian University fell in a heartbreaker on Saturday evening as a baseline jumper with 0.2 seconds by Ja'Sean Jackson gave Lamar University a thrilling 63-61 win over the Huskies at NFCU Arena at the Montagne Center.
HCU and Lamar traded baskets to open the contest, as
Julian Mackey scored four points and
Bryson Dawkins added a powerful finish at the rim to break the press, giving HCU the Huskies a 6-5 lead at the first media. A pair of free throws from
Trent Johnson were followed by a three-ball from Dawkins, extending the early advantage for the Huskies to six with 14:41 remaining in the first half.
Moments later, Johnson would score again on a slithery move in the paint, and once again Dawkins would follow with a score on a drive straight down the middle of the lane, pushing HCU's lead to six again, 15-9 just before the under-12 media timeout.
Back-to-back three-pointers from
D'Aundre Samuels and
Demari Williams pushed HCU's lead to nine 23-14 just before an Andrew Holifield jumper cut into the lead with a little over eight minutes in the half. A Cody Pennebaker layup cut the HCU lead to six, but the Huskies came right back.
Julian Mackey put home a strong finish in the lane, and then got a breakaway dunk to push the visitor's advantage to double-digits for the first time on the evening, 30-20 with 4:35 to play.
The Cardinals tried to make a move just before the half, as baskets by Adam Hamilton and Andrew Holifield cut the lead to three, 32-29 with 1:34 to go. The Huskies wouldn't be shaken however, and an offensive putback slam dunk by Johnson was followed by a driving score by Dawkins with one second on the clock, pushing the HCU lead back up to seven, 36-29 at the break.
Lamar opened up the second half with purpose. Two quick three-balls sliced the HCU lead to just one and a putback by Holifield gave the Cardinals their first lead since an 8-5 advantage just four minutes into the game. Another bucket inside by Adam Hamilton was followed by a dunk from Holifield pushed the lead to 41-36, capping off a 12-0 spurt that forced an HCU timeout with 16:36 to play in the game.
A
Bryson Dawkins three-ball stalled the run, but another Holifield layup pushed the LU lead to eight, 47-39 with 13:34 to play. A block by
Porter Bazil on one end led to another step-back three from Dawkins, cutting the margin to five with just under 12 minutes to go.
Julian Mackey hit a three from the top of the key to cut the lead to four, but Lamar answered right back as an Alexis Marmelejos running scoop got the margin back to seven.
Peyton Rogers hit two free throws out of the eight-minute media, but Marmelejos nailed a deep three-ball from the left wing to make the score 56-48 Lamar with 7:35 remaining.
A coast-to-coast drive and one from
Demari Williams cut the Lamar lead to five, and Mackey struck again from deep, sidestepping a defender for a three-ball that made it a two-point game, 56-54 wih just over five to play.
A moment later,
Trent Johnson would get a blocked shot underneath, leading to another coast-to-coast and-one, this by
Bryson Dawkins to give HCU the lead back, 57-56 with 3:46 to go. After Lamar scored,
Julian Mackey hit a jumper in the lane to retake the lead once more and then
Bryson Dawkins got a steal on the next possession.
Demari Williams would follow his own miss on a short jumper, putting in the rebound for a three-point lead, forcing a Lamar timeout with the Huskies up 61-58 and just 1:54 to play.
Lamar would force a turnover, and seconds later a layup and free throw from Marmolejos tied the game at 61. After another turnover by HCU, the Cardinals called timeout. Lamar missed their initial attempt in the paint, but the ball was batted around and out of bounds, going the home team's way with just 14.4 seconds on the clock. Ja'Sean Jackson dribbled the clock all the way down, and nailed a jumper on the baseline in front of the Lamar bench with 0.2 seconds remaining to win the ballgame.
Neither team shot particularly well as the defensive efforts by both clubs was solid. HCU finished shooting 39.7 from the field and 33% from the arc while Lamar was just 42% from the floor and 31% from long range. HCU won the battle on the boards 42-35, but Lamar forced 17 HCU turnovers that led to a 27-6 edge on points on turnovers, as the Cardinals had just seven.
Julian Mackey and
Bryson Dawkins each scored 20 points for the Huskies. Dawkins tied with
Peyton Rogers with his eight boards, establishing a new career-high in caroms as well as FGM (8) and FGA (17).
Demari Williams added eight points and six rebounds for HCU.
Lamar moves to 8-6 overall and stay perfect in the Southland at 3-0. The Cardinals got 21 points from Alexis Marmolejos and Andrew Holifield added 11. Adam Hamilton and Cody Pennebaker each had eight points with Hamilton leading the Cardinals with eight rebounds.
The Huskies fall to 4-10 overall and 1-2 in the SLC. HCU will complete the two-game road swing with a trip to the Piney Woods on Monday evening to take on Stephen F. Austin State University. Tip-off at the William R. Johnson Coliseum is set for 6:30 pm.
A return home to Sharp Gym comes on January 11 when a four-game homestand ensues against rival University of the Incarnate Word.
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