HUNTSVILLE – Senior guard Jasmine Johnson scored a career high 31 points and junior center Angela Beadle posted a career best 19 rebounds to lead Sam Houston to an 83-73 non-conference women's basketball victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Friday afternoon at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

Beadle also scored 14 points. Jazmin Wiley and Amanda Barnes also were in double figures for the Bearkats, totaling 13 and 12 points, respectively.

The Ragin' Cajuns were led by Keke Veal with 17 points.

The victory in the home opener for Sam Houston upped the Kats record to 1-2. Louisiana-Lafayette dropped to 2-1.

The game turned into a free throw fest in the final minutes as the two squads were whistled for a combined 56 fouls. Johnson was 12-of-17 from the line for the Bearkats.

Sam Houston built a 22 point lead, 57-35, six minutes into the second half after going up 43-33 at intermission. But the Ragin' Cajuns came back to cut the margin to seven, 74-67 with 2:33 to play. The Kats hit seven free throws in the final two minutes to hang on to the victory.