HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — Two Southland Conference men’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Saturday when the Houston Christian Huskies visit the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at the University Center.

The matchup features struggling squads, with Houston Christian at 8-15 overall and Southeastern Louisiana at 6-17. Both are coming off double-digit road losses on Monday. The Huskies fell 74-57 at Texas-Rio Grande Valley, while the Lions lost 73-54 at Lamar.

Houston Christian will lean on the hot hand of guard Demari Williams. The standout has averaged 17.4 points over his last five games, including a 24-point performance in a win over Incarnate Word on Jan. 27 and 18 points in Monday’s loss. His scoring surge has been a bright spot for a Huskies offense that has been inconsistent in conference play.

Southeastern Louisiana looks to counter with guard CJ Booker, who is coming off a team-high 14 points in the loss to Lamar. However, the Lions have lost five of their last six games and have struggled to find consistent offense, failing to reach 70 points in eight of their last ten outings.

History adds intrigue to the contest. The teams last met on Dec. 13, with Southeastern Louisiana escaping Houston with a 74-71 overtime victory. The Huskies will aim to return the favor on the road and snap a two-game skid.

A key battle will be in the paint, where Houston Christian’s D’Aundre Samuels, who had 10 points and two blocks Monday, will face Southeastern Louisiana’s Isaiah Gaines, who posted 10 points, three assists and three blocks in the Lions’ last game.

With the Southland Conference tournament on the horizon, both teams view this as a critical opportunity to build confidence and improve their seeding. Tipoff is set for Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Hammond.