Abdul-Mateen’s 15 points boost ETAM over Houston Christian

COMMERCE, Texas — In a competitive clash, East Texas A&M secured a narrow 63-59 win against Houston Christian on Monday. Leading the charge for the Lions, Khaliq Abdul-Mateen contributed significantly with 15 points, shooting 6 of 13 from the field. His performance included connecting on 2 out of 5 attempts from the 3-point line and making 1 out of 3 free throws.
TJ Thomas also made a notable impact, scoring 14 points. Thomas demonstrated accuracy by hitting 4 of 7 from the floor, with a noteworthy 3 for 4 from 3-point range, and managed to convert 3 out of 6 free throws. Yusef Salih added to the efforts with nine points, albeit with a challenging shooting performance, connecting only 3 out of 11 from the field and 3 out of 10 from beyond the arc.
On the other side, the Huskies’ D’Aundre Samuels emerged as a top performer for Houston Christian, notching 18 points along with two crucial steals. Julian Mackey supplemented the effort with 11 points, while also pulling down seven rebounds and making two blocks. Trent Johnson added 10 points to the board, showcasing his defensive prowess by securing eight rebounds and blocking three shots.
In terms of standings, Houston Christian finished in eighth place during the regular season, thereby earning a spot to compete against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the upcoming conference tournament scheduled for Sunday. Meanwhile, East Texas A&M concluded their season in 11th place, falling short of qualifying for the eight-team tournament lineup.