Lake Charles, La. - Patrick Richard scored 23 points and C. J. Collin added 19 to lead McNeese State to a 73-63 victory over Sam Houston State Monday night at Burton Coliseum.
The loss ended the Bearkats' four-game winning streak, dropping Sam Houston to 13-11 for the year and 6-5 in Southland Conference action.
McNeese State remains unbeaten at home in 12 games this year. The Cowboys climbed to 15-8 for the year and 7-3 in league play. McNeese leads the Southland Conference East Division.
Nafis Richardson led Sam Houston with 18 points and Gilberto Clavell and Lance Pevehouse added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Antuan Bootle scored six points and Josten Crow had five.
Sam Houston held two early leads, but McNeese State took control after a 7-7 tie to go up by as many as seven points in the first half. The Bearkats cut the margin to three at halftime, 37-34, but could come no closer. The closest SHSU came in the second half was four points, 50-46,, on a layup by Marcus James.
The loss to the Cowboys ended a four-game Sam Houston winning streak against McNeese. The Cowboys last defeated SHSU in 2007.
Following the McNeese State game, SHSU then meets Lamar in Beaumont on Saturday. The next Bearkat home game at Johnson Coliseum will be Wednesday, Feb. 28, when the Kats host Northwestern State.
Tickets for all Sam Houston home athletic events are on sale online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
