MONROE, La. – Jalen Bolden recorded his second 20-point game of the 2024-25 season, but his performance was not enough for the ULM men's basketball team as the Warhawks fell to Houston Christian, 74-68, on Tuesday (Dec. 17) night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
No team led by more than double figures at any point of the game, and the game featured 10 lead changes and five tied scores. Bolden broke up an HCU pass for a steal and finished at the other end for a layup on an assist from Coltie Young to give the Warhawks a 68-67 lead with 100 seconds left in the game. The Huskies scored the game's final seven points and came away with the victory.
 
ULM (4-9) outshot Houston Christian (4-7) by nearly five percent from the floor. The Huskies drained 11 3-pointers compared the the Warhawks' five. Neither team shot above 60 percent from the free throw line on the night. HCU forced twice as many steals as ULM and generated 14 points from turnovers.
 
Four Warhawks accounted for 61 out of the 68 total points scored for the evening, led by Bolden's 21 points. Tyreese Watson scored 17 while Coltie Young added 12 and Makai Willis contributed 11. Bolden secured a double-double with a team-high 10 boards. Watson handed out three assists and Bolden came away with four steals.
 
Julian Mackey scored a career-high 32 points in the Huskies' win and made six 3-pointers. Elijah Brooks (12 points) and Bryson Dawkins (11 points) also registered double figures for HCU.
 
Young knocked down a trio of 3-point buckets within the span of three minutes and the Warhawks tied the score at 15-15 with 12:08 remaining in the first half. HCU seized control of a 30-22 lead with 5:15 left in the first half following a 9-2 scoring run that featured seven points from Mackey. A pair of layups by Willis and one by Bolden trimmed the Huskies' lead to two points with under four minutes on the timer. Watson finished a layup for his sixth point of the opening half to cut the Huskies' lead to one with 31 seconds left. HCU took a 35-34 lead into the locker room at the break.
 
After HCU extended its lead to six points early in the second half, Young made his fourth 3-pointer of the night and Bolden plowed through the lane for a layup off a steal to close the gap back to one point. Dawkins connected on a pull up 3-pointer in transition that pushed HCU's lead to seven with under 14 minutes in the game. ULM responded and slimmed the Huskies' lead to one after a Bolden steal-and-score. Houston Christian maintained its lead through the middle stages of the second half, but led by no more than six points.
 
With 4:22 remaining, Willis muscled his way through the lane and secured a rebound off the offensive glass that turned into a three-point play and evened the count at 64-64. On ULM's next possession, Bolden delivered a clutch layup that gave the Warhawks a late lead, 66-64. HCU drained a 3-pointer to go back in front with 2:17 remaining. Bolden again had the answer and scored off a steal to pull the Warhawks back in the lead with 1:40 left. Out of a timeout, HCU's Trent Johnson made his first 3-pointer of the evening and HCU reclaimed its lead. After an empty possession from the Warhawks, Johnson padded HCU's lead to four after a second-chance layup with under a minute to go. Dawkins stole a Watson pass and Mackey sank two free throws to seal the game for HCU.
 
ULM men's basketball opens Sun Belt Conference play at home on Saturday (Dec. 21) afternoon versus Old Dominion. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Fant-Ewing Coliseum.