HUNTSVILLE ? After getting off to the best nonconference start in school the Bearkats stumbled in their Southland Conference opener on Wednesday night.

Southeastern Louisiana came into Johnson Coliseum and handed SHSU a 61-58 loss.

The game was back-and-forth throughout the ball game and with 2:14 left to play Southeastern Louisiana hit a free throw to tie the game for the seventh time at 57. But in the final minutes of the game, the Kats turned the ball over twice and hit just 1-of-4 from the free throw line.

With 15 ticks remaining, the lions extended the lead to three on a free throw. Ashton Mitchell missed a pair of 3-pointers in the final seconds to hand the Kats their first loss at home this season. It is the third straight year the Kats have lost their first Southland Conference game at Johnson Coliseum.

For the game, the Bearkats shot 36 percent from the floor, hitting just 1-of-11 from 3-point range. The Lions on the other hand were 5-of-10 from outside, with the biggest being a long-range shot from Chris Cyprian with 1:12 left to play and just a second remaining on the shot clock.

"They just came out and outplayed us," SHSU head coach Bob Marlin said."They have a good team and I thought it was going to be this kind of game.We would like to start 1-0, but we have lost the first conference game at home a few times now."

DeLuis Ramirez led the Kats with 14 points and Ryan Bright added 13 to go along with 10 rebounds. Shamir McDaniel, the Kats' leading scorer entering the game averaging 13.5 a contest was held to just 3 points.

The Kats will be back at home on Saturday when they take on Nicholls at 7 p.m.