HOUSTON --- Houston Christian University stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the first half, blowing past University of Louisiana-Monroe with a huge second half to win going away, taking a 72-61 decision in Sharp Gymnasium on Thursday night. The Huskies put the clamps on ULM defensively after the break, holding the visitors to just 22% shooting and 18 points in a 21-point turnaround.
 
The two teams played to a nine-all tie through the first three minutes before ULM began to stretch things out. A three-ball by Dylan Diaz began a 19-6 burst over the next four minutes, capped by three-pointer from Przemek Hartman and a layup by Alex Huguet Carrasco that gave the Warhawks a 28-15 lead just before the midway point of the first half.
 
HCU cut the lead to nine on a layup by Nehikhare Igiehon at the 8:26 mark, but the Warhawks answered right back. A jumper by Krystian Lewis pushed the lead its largest, 36-22 with just over five minutes to play in the opening session. The Huskies would get the deficit down to 10 on a pair of Demarco Bethea free throws with 23 seconds left, and went to the break down 43-33.
 
A jumper by Lewis out of the gate got the lead back to a dozen before the Huskies began to whittle away. Bethea sandwiched a pair of buckets in the paint around back-to-back three-balls from D'Aundre Samuels that capped a 14-2 run, tying things at 47 with 13:06 left in the second frame.
 
The two teams traded triples to keep the game knotted at 50 before a breakaway reverse layup by Kylin Green gave HCU its first lead since the opening minute of the game. Moments later it was Trent Johnson who tickled the twine with two triples that bookended a dunk by Demari Williams and the Huskies led 62-55 with a handful of minutes to play.
 
The lead would continue to grow on consecutive offensive rebound buckets by Mambourou Mara, and another three by Johnson gave HCU its largest lead and put the game on ice, 70-55 with just over a minute to go.
 
It was a true tale of two halves. After trailing by 14 in the first half and by 10 at the break, the Huskies held the Warhawks to just 11 points over the final 11 minutes of the contest to finish off a 21-point second half edge.
 
HCU went from shooting 38% in the first to 49% in the second, a mark bolstered by a 6-13 showing from the arc in the second frame. Conversely, ULM went from hitting 60% from the floor an 50% from the arc to just 22% and 9% as the Huskies stepped up the defensive effort coming out of the intermission. The Huskies forced 15 turnovers and got a solid night from its bench brigade to the tune of a 23-10 edge over ULM.  
 
Trent Johnson led the Huskies with a career-high 17 points coming on a personal-best five three-pointers. He led a trio of players in double-digits and also added five boards and two assists. Demarco Bethea had 11 points while Mambourou Mara chipped in 10 points, six boards and also matched his career-high of four blocked shots set in the season opener. Nehikhare Igiehon and D'Aundre Samuels chipped in nine and eight points respectively.
 
Kylin Green put together an all-around career night. He dished out a game and career-high 13 assists while hauling down a career-best six boards to go along with with a single-game best three pilfers. The 13 assists were the most by an HCU player in a game since Mike Moss doled out 13 helpers against Chicago State in 2011.
 
MJ Russell led the losing effort for the Warhawks (1-3) with 15 points. Renars Sondors had 12 points and six rebounds while Dylan Diaz hit 3-8 from distance and finished with 10 points. ULM leading scorer Krystian Lewis was held to just six points but led the visitors with eight boards and five assists.
 
HCU is now 2-1 on the season. The Huskies will be off until next Thursday when they complete the short two-game homestand by welcoming College of Biblical Studies-Houston to Sharp Gym for a 7 pm tip-off.
 
 
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