HUNTSVILLE, TX ? Leasa Ailshe scored 22 points and Whitney Smith added 20 to lead Sam Houston State to a 90-77 Southland Conference women's basketball victory over Lamar Wednesday night at Johnson Coliseum.

Sam Houston led by as many as 14 points in the second half but saw its lead cut to two points, 73-71, on a three point basket by Agnija Reke with 2:48 to play.

The Bearkats hit 15 of 18 free throws in the last two and half minutes to end the game by out-scoring Lamar 17-6.

Sam Houston has won four games in a row at home in Johnson Coliseum. The Bearkats stand No. 4 in NCAA Division I women's basketball in most improved record. Sam Houston has gone from one victory in a 1-28 season last year to 6-12 this season. The Kats are 3-2 in Southland action.

The 90 points was the most by the Kat women in a Southland Conference game since Sam Houston defeated Nicholls State 91-78 in 2004.

Lamar, who entered the contest tied for first place in the Southland West Division, dropped to 13-6 for the year and 4-2 in SLC action.

Brittney Williams led the Cardinals with 19 points. Darika Hill added 17 for Lamar.

“Lamar beat us 70-47 last year and we came into tonight's game saying this was David vs. Goliath,” SHSU head coach Brenda Nichols said. “We had a great team effort. Hitting our free throws when they started fouling us at the end was big, but out-rebounding their lineup that is so much taller than us inside was bigger.”

Sam Houston State pulled down 43 rebounds while Lamar had 36. The Kats scored 28 points in the paint. SHSU was 29 of 34 at the foul line (85.3 percent) and shot 41.9 percent from the field (26-of-62).

Britni Martin came off the bench to add 15 points. Smith had 10 rebounds and Martin seven boards.

SAM HOUSTON ST 90, LAMAR 77

01-28-09 6:30 p.m. at Huntsville, TX (Johnson Coliseum)

LAMAR (13-6, SLC 4-2)

Williams, Brittney 7-11 5-8 19; Hill, Darika 7-13 0-0 17; Green, Ang 5-16

1-1 13; Williams, Nikki 4-14 0-1 10; Spickler, Emily 4-7 1-1 10; Smith,

Trashanna 2-4 4-4 8; Reke, Agnija 0-1 0-0 0; Crawford, Ashley 0-1 0-0 0.

Totals 29-67 11-15 77.

SAM HOUSTON ST (6-12, SLC 3-2)

Ailshie, Leasa 5-10 7-8 22; Smith, Whitney 5-10 10-10 20; Martin, Britni

4-10 5-6 15; Agnew, Bre 3-7 0-0 8; Brooks, Brittany 2-10 3-4 7; Alexander,

Ray 2-3 2-2 6; Hager, Therese 2-4 0-0 4; Gonzales, Lydia 1-5 2-4 4;

Livingston, Lucy 1-1 0-0 2; Echols, Khamra 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 26-62 29-34 90.

Lamar.........................   28   49  -   77

Sam Houston St................   34   56  -   90

3-point goals--Lamar 8-26 (Hill, Darika 3-8; Green, Ang 2-5; Williams, Nikki

2-8; Spickler, Emily 1-3; Crawford, Ashley 0-1; Williams, Brittney 0-1), Sam

Houston St 9-17 (Ailshie, Leasa 5-7; Martin, Britni 2-5; Agnew, Bre 2-3;

Echols, Khamra 0-1; Brooks, Brittany 0-1). Fouled out--Lamar-Smith,

Trashanna; Williams, Nikki, Sam Houston St-None. Rebounds--Lamar 36 (Hill,

Darika 12), Sam Houston St 43 (Smith, Whitney 10). Assists--Lamar 23

(Williams, Nikki 8), Sam Houston St 23 (Ailshie, Leasa 7). Total

fouls--Lamar 26, Sam Houston St 15. Technical fouls--Lamar-None, Sam Houston

St-None. A-390