CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined by its final frantic seconds, Mason Gibson converted a crucial free throw with six seconds remaining to break a tie, and Nicholas Shogbonyo added another from the line two seconds later as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi survived a furious Houston Christian rally for a 73-71 victory in a Southland Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at the American Bank Center.

The Islanders, who led for over 37 minutes, saw a nine-point lead with under three minutes to go evaporate completely. Houston Christian’s Trent Johnson buried a deep 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to knot the score at 71-71, setting the stage for the tense finish.

On the ensuing possession, Corpus Christi worked the ball to Gibson, who drove aggressively and was fouled by Houston Christian’s D’Aundre Samuels. Gibson, a guard from Allen, Texas, calmly sank the first free throw to put the Islanders ahead 72-71 but missed the second. In the scramble for the rebound, Shogbonyo was fouled by Samuels again. Shogbonyo missed his first attempt but made the second, pushing the lead to 73-71 with two seconds on the clock.

Houston Christian’s last-ditch inbound pass was deflected, and time expired before the Huskies could attempt a final shot, allowing the Islanders to escape before a crowd of 1,914.

The victory improved Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to 12-10 overall, while Houston Christian fell to 8-14. The Islanders swept the season series, having defeated the Huskies 81-65 on Jan. 5.

The game was a tale of contrasting styles and efficiency. The Islanders dominated the interior, outscoring Houston Christian 42-18 in the paint and outshooting them from the field, 54% to 44.9%. Corpus Christi’s offense was surgical in the half-court, posting an offensive rating of 119.7 points per 100 possessions.

Houston Christian stayed competitive through exceptional perimeter shooting and clutch free-throw accuracy. The Huskies hit 10 of 21 attempts from 3-point range (47.6%) and made 17 of 20 free throws (85%). Their offensive rating of 117.4 was nearly as potent as the Islanders’, but they simply could not contain Corpus Christi’s inside attack.

Gibson led all scorers with 18 points for the Islanders, adding six rebounds. Forward Cenker Evran of Adana, Turkey, provided a critical interior presence with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. The Islanders also benefited from a 17-8 advantage in fast-break points and forced 10 Huskies turnovers, converting them into 12 points.

Houston Christian was led by a balanced scoring effort. Demari Williams of Fulshear, Texas, and D’Aundre Samuels of Denver, Colorado, each scored 17 points. Samuels did his damage efficiently, hitting three 3-pointers. Ryan Bartley of Decatur, Illinois, added 14 points, all in the first half, including four 3-pointers, and recorded two blocks. Forward Demarco Bethea of Sellers, South Carolina, contributed 10 points and six rebounds.

The first half was a back-and-forth shooting display, featuring 11 combined 3-pointers. Houston Christian used its long-range accuracy to take a slim 35-34 lead into halftime, with Bartley’s hot hand providing a key spark.

The Islanders began to impose their will after the break. A 9-2 run midway through the second half, capped by a Shogbonyo 3-pointer and a driving layup from Bryson Wheatfall, gave Corpus Christi its largest lead at 60-51 with just over six minutes remaining. They maintained a cushion until the final minutes when Houston Christian’s pressure and timely scoring culminated in Johnson’s game-tying triple.

Despite the loss, Houston Christian showed resilience, battling back from multiple deficits against a team that entered as a heavy favorite, with a pregame win probability of 88.9% and installed as an 8.5-point favorite. The combined score of 144 fell under the betting over/under line of 135.5.

The game underscored the competitive nature of the Southland Conference, where home-court advantage proved decisive in a contest decided by the slimmest of margins at the free-throw line. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will look to build on the win when it hosts Incarnate Word on Monday. Houston Christian, meanwhile, will seek to rebound on the road at Texas-Rio Grande Valley, also on Monday.