A pair of late lead changes and one final drive to the rim sent the Northwestern State men’s basketball team to a heartbreaking 82–80 loss Monday night at Sharp Gymnasium, as Houston Christian erased a late deficit and delivered the final blow in Southland Conference play.
The Demons (6-13, 4-6) appeared in control heading into the closing minutes, leaning on interior efficiency and timely scoring, but the Huskies answered possession after possession down the stretch before Kylin Green’s driving layup with four seconds remaining proved decisive.
“We put ourselves in position to win,” third-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. “But when you have an eight-, nine-, 10-point lead, you’ve got to figure out a way to close it out. Right now, when it’s time to go, we’re not defending the way we need to defend.”
Northwestern gave up a 13-point lead Saturday in a last-second 76-74 loss at UIW.
Northwestern led 65-55 at the 10-minute mark Monday night after a Kordrick Turner layup capped a steady offensive stretch, forcing HCU to play from behind.
The Huskies (6-13, 3-7) responded with a surge fueled by perimeter shooting, trimming the margin to three after back-to-back 3-pointers from Trent Johnson and Riley Bartley.
The Demons briefly steadied themselves behind Willie Williams, who finished through contact on multiple possessions and converted a free throw at the 2:13 mark to make it 79–75.
The Huskies refused to fade.
D’Aundre Samuels buried a corner 3 with 1:54 remaining to cut the deficit to one, and after Izzy Miles split a pair of free throws on the other end, Green calmly knocked down two at the stripe to tie the game at 80 with 53 seconds remaining.
Northwestern had one more opportunity to respond but came up empty, setting the stage for Green’s final attack.
The senior guard drove downhill and finished at the rim with four seconds left, giving HCU its first lead since early in the second half.
A last-second running shot for the Demons did not fall, sealing the Huskies’ comeback after they shot 60 percent from the field and 12-of-20 from beyond the arc.
“We can score,” Cabrera said. “Offense isn’t the issue. When you score 80-plus points on the road, that’s not the problem. But when you give up 80-plus points, that’s an issue. Our defense has to be better than our offense late.”
In its last two home games, Northwestern won on a Micah Thomas 3-pointer at the buzzer and a free throw with just over a second remaining, before the agonizing losses at UIW and HCU. Cabrera emphasized that the recurring theme of close finishes must lead to growth, especially with the season’s margin tightening.
“At some point, you’ve got to come together as a unit and guard when it matters the most,” Cabrera said. “Every game in this league is going to be a nailbiter under four minutes. The team that gets the most stops is going to win, period.”
Northwestern returns to Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum on Saturday, hosting East Texas A&M at Prather Coliseum. Tipoff is 3:30 p.m.
