FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Husson University men's basketball team made a huge comeback on Sunday evening, after trailing St. Mary's (Md.) for the majority of the first half. The Eagles bounced back to seize an 83-69 victory in the Trip Sports Cruzin' Classic.

FIRST GLANCE:

Husson freshman guard DJ Bussey tallied a game-high 18 points in just 24 minutes, while shooting 6-12 from the field in the victory against the Seahawks.

THE REST OF THE STORY:

After trailing the Seahawks (2-8, 1-3 CAC) for nearly the entire first half, the Eagles (7-1, 4-0 NAC) began making their comeback. Before breaking away on a 25-9 run in the final 8:43 of the half, Justin Thompson drained a 3-pointer to begin chipping away at the deficit. Husson officially bounced back with 3:08 left on the clock after Bussey tied up the score, 34-34, with a jumper in the paint. Thirty seconds later, Corey Kaiser's layup gave the Eagles that extra push to take the lead, 36-34. Husson cruised into halftime on that momentum holding onto a 42-38 lead.

After a brief struggle over control in the opening minutes of the second half, the Eagles stepped up their game starting with a successful free throw basket by Martin to capture a 48-47 lead with 16:29 on the clock. A lead which Husson maintained until the final buzzer.

LEADERS – HUSSON:

• Martin notched his third double-double of the season, registering 11 points and 12 rebounds.

• Freshman guard Cole Thomas had a successful return to Florida, netting 10 points and nine boards.

• Senior guard Raheem Anderson drained 19 points, shooting 7-9 from the charity stripe while snatching up three steals.

• Thompson helped out under the basket, grabbing five defensive rebounds.

LEADERS – St. Mary's (Md.):

• Darick Kerns helped out his team immensely, earning a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds in just 19 minutes.

• Matt Ayoub added on 12 points, shooting 4-5 from the free throw line.

• LaVonte Sanders was 6-8 from the floor with 13 points.

TEAM STATS:

St. Mary's (Md.) held the lead in forced turnovers (15-11) and field goal percentage (46.6% to 39.1%), but Husson posted an advantage in rebounds (49-39), steals (9-6), and free throw accuracy (77.4% to 27.3%).

NEXT!

The Eagles will take on Simpson college tomorrow, December 18th, as they continue competition in the Trip Sports Cruzin' Classic down in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.