HOUSTON – Entering the second half trailing by 14, the East Texas A&M University men's basketball team stormed back to make it a two-point game in the final minute on Thursday night, but fell 83-79 to the HCU Huskies in Sharp Gym in the Southland Conference opener for both teams.
 
The loss marks the second straight season that the Lions lost the conference opener and are now 1-8 on the season, while HCU is 3-6 overall. The two teams do not see each other again until the last game of the regular season.  
 
The Huskies led for the entirety of the game but had just a 9-8 lead at the 15:02 mark of the first half. The Lions were held to score just two points in the next four minutes as HCU built a 18-10 lead.
 
Despite HCU leading by as much as 15 in the first half, the Lions were able to cut it to within six at the 6:08 mark, 26-20. The Huskies led 45-31 at the half, having shot 62 percent from the field and 6 for 10 from outside, while the Lions shot 39 percent and 3 for 13 from deep.
 
At the 10:40 mark of the second half, HCU had a 63-52 lead. The Lions held the Huskies to score just three the next five minutes and 11 seconds and cut the deficit down to three on a three-pointer from Yusef Salih (Gainesville, Va.) as the Lions shot 4 for 7 during the stretch. East Texas A&M had a chance to tie the game, but the three-pointer came up short and the Huskies hit one on the other end to go back up by six.
 
The lead was never below three in the game until four seconds left on a three-pointer by TJ Thomas (Memphis, Tenn.), but the Huskies hit both free throws on the other end to pick up the win.
 
Four Lions scored in double digits on Thursday night with Scooter Williams Jr. (Chattanooga, Tenn.) totaling 16 along and three rebounds, while both Thomas and Salih added 15 points each. Demarco Bethea (Sellars. S.C.) added 12 points off the bench as well for the Lions and led the team with seven rebounds.
 
The Huskies were led in scoring by Bryson Dawkins scoring 22 and Julian Mackey adding 20.
 
In the second half, the Lions shot 52 percent from the field and held HCU to shoot 43 percent. HCU was 30 for 39 at the line, while East Texas A&M was 18 for 22.
 

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The Lions head to UIW on Saturday at 11 a.m. to close out first weekend of conference play.