HOUSTON --- Kylin Green's layup with 4.3 seconds remaining capped a late rally and sent a boisterous Sharp Gymnasium crowd into a frenzy as Houston Christian University pulled out a thrilling 82-80 victory over Northwestern State University on Monday night. HCU trailed by 10 with nine minutes to play before the late theatrics finished off the barn-burner to give the Huskies their second straight win on the season-long four-game homestand.
 
The Demons grabbed the early advantage, as a back-to-back three-pointers from Micah Thomas and Omar Adegbola put the visitors up a touchdown, 14-7 with 14:22 on the first half clock. HCU would battle back to cut the deficit to five, but Northwestern stretched the lead back out to nine on a layup by Justin Redmon.
 
Ryan Bartley and Demari Williams then connected on consecutive triples to cut the lead to five. A moment later, it was Williams again, getting a short jumper on one end and then providing the defense for a shot-clock violation as the Huskies crept to within three, 26-23 with nine to play in the first half.
 
Kylin Green would can a trey to knot things at 30 at the 6:40 mark before Northwestern recaptured the lead. Mambourou Mara would nail a three-pointer and moments later took a dish from Green for a monstrous slam that pulled the Huskies to within two, 41-39 with just over a minute to go. A three-pointer from Justin Redmond with six seconds to go gave the Demons a 44-41 lead heading into the lockeroom.
 
The two teams would trade baskets for the first few minutes of the second half before a conventional three-point play by Micah Thomas edged Northwestern ahead by five just before the first second-half media timeout. That margin would grow to nine after four more Thomas points four minutes later and a layup by Kordrick Thomas gave the Demons their largest advantage of the evening at 10, 65-55 with exactly 10 to play.
 
NSU still led by 10 a moment later, when the Huskies began to methodically climb back into things. Back-to-back three-balls by Trent Johnson got HCU to within four and two minutes later a Ryan Bartley long range hit made it a one-point game, 71-70 as the clock crept under six minutes.
 
Two free throws by D'Aundre Samuels gave HCU the lead, but it was short-lived, as the Demons responded with a 7-0 burst, as Landyn Jumawan hit three charity shots and Willie Williams scored in the paint to edge NSU ahead 78-72 with 3:20 to go.
 
Johnson and then Samuels would bury three-pointers, and two free-throws by Kylin Green edged HCU in front 80-79 with 53 seconds to go.
 
Micah Thomas then split a pair of free throws with 16 seconds to play, tying the game at 80-apiece and setting up Kylin Green's late heroics. Green took the ball at the top of the key and drove right before spinning back inside and scooping up a right-handed layup while drawing the harm, giving the Huskies a two-point advantage, 82-80 with four seconds on the clock.
 
Green missed the free throw and Northwestern State called timeout. The Demons got the ball down the floor, but Chris Mubiru's short runner at the horn went awry, and Sharp Gymnasium turned upside-down.
 
The two teams put on a shooting display, as at one point late in the game, both teams were shooting an identical 64% from the floor. HCU finished the game at a season-high 60% from both the field and the arc, going 27-45 from the floor and knocking down 12-20 from long range. NSU went for 56% from the field, but scored just two free throws during the final three-minute stretch of the game.
 
HCU put four players in double-digit scoring, led by Demari Williams with 16. Kylin Green's game-winner gave him 14 points and he also dished out 10 assists to just one turnover.

Trent Johnson hit four three's and Ryan Bartley hit two as the pair each put in a dozen points, while Demarco Bethea and Mambourou Mara each chipped in nine. D'Aundre Samuels had eight points and a team-high seven caroms.
 
Northwestern State (6-13 / 4-6 SLC) was paced by Micah Thomas who scored right at his average with 17. Willie Williams had 15 points, while Justin Redmond and Chris Mubiru added 13 and 11 respectively. It was the fourth straight ballgame the Demons have played that has gone down to the final play, with two wins before losses in the last two.
 
Houston Christian University has now won the first two games on the four-game homestand to improve to 7-12 overall and 3-7 in Southland play. The Huskies reach the midway point of the conference schedule on Saturday in Sharp Gym when they face UTRGV for the first time this season. That game is slated to start at 3:30 pm as the back-end of a doubleheader with the women, who tip-off at 1 pm.
 
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