Overcoming North Texas margins of 11 points in the first half and eight points in the second to take brief leads in both periods, Sam Houston ended up falling 69-64 to the Eagles in the Bearkats' final non-conference game of the season Tuesday night in Denton.
Aurimas Majauskas, Jamal Williams and Josh Delaney all scored in double figures as Sam Houston dropped to 5-8 for the year. Majauskas led the Sam men with 17 points, going 7-for-13 from the floor. Williams totaled 15 points and Delaney, a red-shirt freshman, went 4-of-7 from beyond the arc for 12 points.
Deckie Johnson paced North Texas with 27 points as the Mean Green finished their pre-Conference USA schedule 5-8.
“Right now, with the so many new players on the team and the injuries, we need to find a way to put it all together,” Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten said. “We can't make mistakes at crucial times like we did tonight.”
Trailing by eight, 53-45 midway through the second half, Sam Houston fought back to take a 58-56 lead with 5:52 remaining after a pair of three-pointers by Delaney. North Texas took back the lead quickly, but Williams tied the contest 61-61 with 3:28 to play.
After Ja'Michael Reese hit a jumper with 2:01 left to put UNT up 65-61, Sam Houston missed four consecutive three-pointers and turned the ball over three times while the Eagles missed four straight free throws. A pair of free throw makes by Reed put the game out-of-reach 69-61. Majauskas added a final three-pointer with three seconds remaining.
“We didn't get stops when we needed down the stretch,” Hooten said. “Every conference game is going to come down to the wire just like tonight's game did. That's something we talked about with the team after the game. We've got to make more stops on defense and take the ball up stronger and make the plays we need on offense.”
Key factors for North Texas were success at the free throw line and 50 percent shooting from the field. The Eagles hit 20-of-32 at the charity line while the Bearkats shot only nine free throws, making five. Sam Houston was whistled for 29 fouls while North Texas was called for 16 personals. UNT hit 21-of-42 from the field (50 percent) including seven three-pointers.
Rebounding was almost even as North Texas pulled down 36 boards and Sam Houston had 35 rebounds. Dakarai Henderson, Majauskas, Butler and Williams each pulled down five boards for the Kats.
Opening the game with six consecutive missed shots and scoring only three baskets in the first eight minutes, Sam Houston fell behind 17-6 early.
Things turned around after Josh Delaney drained a three-pointer with 10:39 left in the opening period. The basket sparked a 13-2 run as Sam Houston tied the score 19-19 on a Jalin Barnes three-point at the 8:16 mark.
After Majauskas tied the game again at 19-19, a lay-up by Jamal Williams gave the Kats their first lead, 23-21, with 6:45 remaining. A three-pointer by Albert Almanza and two jumpers and a free throw by Torry Butler gave Sam Houston four point leads at the 4:31, 2:59 and 1:42 marks.
North Texas fought back to tie the game with a dunk by Deckie Johnson with two seconds left before intermission.
Sam Houston opened the second period with a 10-4 run as a three-pointer by Williams put the Kats up 41-35 four minutes into the half. North Texas turned the tables with an 11-0 run during the next four-and-a-half minutes to go up by eight, 53-45.
As they had in the first half, Sam Houston fought back. A three-point play on a field goal and free throw by Majauskas started a 15-3 Kat run as a Delaney three put the Sam men up 58-56 with 5:52 to play. The Eagles out-scored the Kats 13-6 in the final five minutes for the win.
Sam Houston opens Southland Conference action Saturday at 4:30 p.m. when the Bearkats travel to San Antonio to face Incarnate Word.
“We're wiping the slate clean and starting 0-0 next Saturday in San Antonio, “ Hooten said. “It's a whole new season as we start Southland play.”
