With 14 seconds remaining, Sam Houston State junior guard Dakarai Henderson spotted up and nailed a three-pointer to tie Houston Baptist, but an ill-advised Bearkat foul on the other end led to an eventual game-winning free throw and 70-69 Huskies win.
“They went man again and he came off of a screen,” Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten said. “Dakarai is a great shooter and he felt like he was going to make it. I have no problem with him taking that shot. It went in and tied the game. We just kind of short-circuited it there in the end.”
After falling behind 21-8 in the first half, Sam Houston (11-11 overall, 6-3 Southland Conference) outscored Houston Baptist (14-7 overall, 8-0 SLC) 25-14 during the final 12 minutes of the opening frame, setting up a wild second half.
“We weren't playing our game,” Hooten said of the early struggles. “We got behind early and were a little flat. Then we decided to get after it and we were right back in it. I think we missed a shot at the buzzer to lead at halftime.”
The Bearkats, led by Henderson's 16 points, took their first lead at 39-37 with just under 18 minutes to play, using a 10-2 run to build a six-point lead with 15:33 remaining. The Kats maintained a five-point edge with 5:23 left on an Albert Almanza jumper.
With 3:38 to go, Henderson found the lane, drove and gave Sam Houston a 62-59 advantage. The two squads exchanged baskets and with 1:35 left, Jamal Williams, who finished with 14 points and was one of four Kats in double figures, sank two free throws to put Sam Houston ahead 66-65.
Down the stretch though, the Huskies, who outrebounded the Kats 40-34, capitalized on key second-chance opportunities including an offensive rebound that led to a Jordan Stickler three-pointer and 68-66 Houston Baptist upperhand.
“We got two or three stops there in the end and they would get an offensive rebound,” Hooten said. “You can't give them second chances, especially at home. We did what we needed to defensively but they got the second chance. One time they made one of two free throws and the other they hit a three.”
Jovante Spivey added 14 points while Aurimas Majauskas put home 12 points. After shooting just 36 percent in the first half, Sam Houston hit 48 percent from the field to the Huskies' 42 percent in the second.
The Bearkats, who downed Abilene Christian in a quick turnaround following their defeat at SFA will hope for the same fortune on Monday at Lamar. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“We've got to bounce back,” Hooten said. “In 48 hours, we'll be playing again. It's not like football where you've got another week to wait, we've got a chance to get the bad taste out of our mouths by playing Monday night.”
