LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana --- Houston Christian University put up a strong fight in the finale of a four-game road stretch before succumbing to 73-69 to McNeese State University at the Townsley Law Arena on Monday night. The undermanned Huskies gave the second-place Pokes all they could handle until the hosts staved off a final flurry in the waning moments to escape with the win.
 
After HCU took a 5-2 lead out of the gate, McNeese responded with a 10-0 run capped by a dunk on the break by Javohn Garcia. The lead grew to nine on a layup by Tyshawn Archie before back-to back scores by Demarco Bethea pulled the Huskies to within five with 14:17 on the first half clock.
 
The hosts would keep the advantage of seven for the next six minutes when the Huskies put together a flurry. A jumper by Ryan Bartley was flowed by two free throws from Demari Williams to cut the lead to three. A moment later, Kylin Green picked Garwey Dual's pocket for a swipe and score on the other end, and 50 seconds later, a three from Trent Johnson cut the lead to one, 28-27 with just over four minutes to the break.
 
McNeese would try to extend the lead, getting it back to six on a pair of free throws from Yanis Ndjonga, but a layup by Bethea and a jumper by D'Aundre Samuels with 1:02 to go pared the deficit to two once more. A turnaround jumper by Garcia gave the Pokes a 37-33 lead heading into intermission.
 
A dunk by Mambourou Mara on the baseline kept the Huskies down four nearly four minutes into the second frame, but McNeese then got consecutive long-balls from Garcia and DJ Richards to push the lead to double-digits for the first time in the contest, 47-37 with 15:23 to play. D'Aundre Samuels responded with a trey of his own and two charity shots by Demari Williams cut the lead back to six at the 14-minute mark.
 
Carl Cherenfant then converted an offensive putback and another layup off a turnover as the Cowboys got their lead back up to nine, 53-44 at the under-12 media. The Huskies weren't going away quietly however, and moments later Demari Williams grabbed an offensive rebound off his own blocked shot, got the ball back in the corner and knocked down a triple to make it a one-possession game once more, 60-57 with 6:54 remaining.
 
McNeese would try to pull away. A pair of free throws by Jacolb Fredson-Cole and a dunk on the fast break by Larry Johnson got the lead back to seven for the Pokes, but Williams would connect again from long range. A conventional three-point play by Javohn Garcia with three minutes left pushed McNeese up by seven, and after an HCU turnover, a jumper by Johnson inched the lead to nine.
 
HCU put together one last flurry. A jumper by Ryan Bartley was followed by a steal and two free throws from Green, and the Huskies trailed by five with 1:19 to go, but couldn't get over the last hurdle down the stretch.
 
The Huskies shot 43% on the night but went 17-19 from the free throw line, a 90% clip representing their best night of the season from the charity stripe. McNeese was 54% from the field, but shot just 30% from the arc. The Cowboys used a 46-22 edge in the paint to keep just enough distance between themselves and the Huskies in a second close contest between the two schools this season.
 
A quartet of players hit the double-figure column in scoring for HCU, led by Demari Williams who had 16 points to go along with four boards and three assists. D'Aundre Samuels and Ryan Bartley each recorded 15, with Samuels adding three caroms and a team-high four assists, while Bartley went 2-5 from deep and added three rebounds. Demarco Bethea had 10 points and a team-high seven boards.
 
McNeese (20-5 | 13-3 SLC) got a game-high 18 points from Javohn Garcia, the 2024-25 Southland Conference Player of the Year. Larry Johnson had 14 points on 7-10 from the floor while Tyshawn Archie added 11 and a game-high five assists. Jacolb Fredson-Cole had 10 points as well for the Pokes, who
 
HCU is now 8-17 overall and 4-12 in the Southland Conference. The Huskies, now one game out of the eighth and final SLC playoff spot, will return home for the first time in 19 days when they host University of New Orleans for a Valentine's Day matinee on Saturday. The two teams last met in the conference opener on December 6, an 85-76 win for the Huskies in the Big Easy.
 
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