HCU vs. TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI
LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana --- Houston Christian University takes on Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in the first round of the 2025 Jersey Mikes' Southland Conference Tournament hosted by McNeese State University at the Legacy Center. HCU will be the eighth seed in the field with tip-off scheduled for 5 pm in the third meeting of the two teams this season.
The Huskies finished the regular season with a 12-19 overall record and a 9-11 ledger in conference play. HCU and TAMUCC split the two meetings this season with each holding serve on its own floor. HCU is led by first-year head coach
Craig Doty, who was hired as the ninth head coach in school history nearly one year ago. Now in his 13th season as a head coach, Doty brings experience on the NJCAA, NAIA and NCAA Division II levels including capturing three national titles.
On Friday afternoon, the league announced its All-Conference accolades, with
Bryson Dawkins being selected to the first team of the Southland Conference 2024-25 Men's Basketball All-Conference squad. He became the first HCU player to earn all-conference honors since Darius Lee after the 2021-22 season, and is just the second first-team SLC selection in program history, joining Anthony Odunsi who was named after the 2015-16 season.
In his first season at HCU after transferring from Itawamba Community College, the southpaw wing averages 14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals while playing 30.9 minutes per game. He shoots 44% from the floor and 33% from long range, and led the squad in total points and field goals made while coming in second with 58 three-pointers made so far this season. Dawkins was just recognized as SLC Player of the Week two weeks ago and finished the 31-game regular season slate second on the club in both scoring and rebounding.
The Dothan, Alabama native finished the regular season fourth in the SLC in overall scoring and fifth in field goal percentage while rank- ing 11th in the league in made three-pointers. In conference only games, Dawkins was the SLC leader in scoring at 17.2 points per game.
In being named to the All-SLC first team, Dawkins becomes just the second HCU player to earn that nod. He joins Anthony Odunsi, who was named to the first five in 2015-16 after averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists in leading HCU to a 17-17 record and berth in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Odunsi was the first two-time All-Southland selection in school history. It is the first four-year postseason accolade for Dawkins, who spent his rookie collegiate campaign at the University of North Alabama. He was named with All-MACCC honors last year at Itawamba.
Julian Mackey continues to pace the Huskies in scoring, sitting at 14.9 points on the campaign. The senior transfer from the Peach State has 10 games with 20 points or more and has eclipsed his career-high three times this year. He currently ranks third in the SLC in scoring and second from the free throw line at an 78.4% clip for the season. Mackey averages 15.1 a game in SLC play.
Elijah Brooks continues to put up numbers all-around, averaging 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game whiel shooting a team-high 48% from the floor. D'Aunde Samuels averages 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists off the bench, while the inside duo of
Trent Johnson and
Peyton Rogers combines for 10.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game for the Huskies.
The game Sunday marks a return to the Southland Tournament for the Huskies, who missed the field last season. HCU didn't qualify in its first two year in the Southland, but is now making its eighth appearance in the last ten seasons. The Huskies are 4-7 all-time in the tournament, earning opening-round victories over Southeastern and Incarnate Word (three times). This is the second time that HCU and TAMUCC will meet in the tournament, as the two squared off in the quarterfinals in 2022 with the Islanders taking a 75-60 victory at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.
This is the third meeting of the season between HCU and TAMUCC, who split the season series. The Islanders lead the all-time series 24-11.
HCU won 76-72 in Sharp Gymnasium on January 20, racing out to a big lead in the first half before weathering a second-half storm. The Huskies never trailed and led by as many as 16 in the first frame before holding on with 9-12 from the charity stripe over the final two minutes. A quartet of Huskies managed double-digits, led by
Julian Mackey with 19 and
Trent Johnson's first-ever double-digit outing with 13. The Islanders returned the favor on February 17 with a 68-62 victory in Corpus Christi.
Elijah Brooks led HCU with 16 points, while Jordan Roberts had 16 off the bench to lead a late rally over the last eight minutes for TAMUCC.
Jim Shaw is in his second season as head coach and fourth overall on the island. TAMUCC enters Sunday's action at 19-13 overall after finishing 12-8 in the league.
The Islanders are led by 6'8 senior forward Garry Clark, who averaged 14.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in the regular season to earn All-SLC honors for the second straight season. 6'2 point guard Isaac Williams turned in a solid rookie campaign at 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while 6'8 junior forward Owen Dease rounded out the trio of double-figure scorers at 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds. Jordan Roberts, a 6'4 senior guard, provided ample production off the pine for the Islanders, scoring 8.5 points and leading the team with 38 made three-pointers in just at 18 minutes per night.
Sunday evening's winner will move on to the quarterfinals on Monday afternoon, where it will take on fourth-seeded Northwestern State University at 5 pm.
#DawgsUp
