BEAUMONT – Much like their encounter two weeks ago in Huntsville, the Sam Houston State women played it close with second-place Lamar for 20 minutes.

But just like in Huntsville, Lamar took control of the second half, cruising to a 81-64 win in the Montagne Center. The Cardinals closed the first half on a 6-0 run to take a 38-36 lead in at the break. But the second half was a different story.

With the scored tied at 40 early in the second half, Lamar scored 26 of the next 35 points.

The Kats (11-14, 6-8 SLC) shot the ball well in the first half, hitting 48 percent of their shots, but in the final 20 minutes, they made just 30 percent from the floor. The Kats also turned the ball over 23 times, which resulted in 30 Lamar points.

Three players finished in double figures scoring for the Bearkats, with Jasmine Johnson and Morghen Day leading the way with 14. Angela Beadle scored 12 and grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Kats will be back on the road on Thursday taking on Central Arkansas.