COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sam Houston State's Dakarai Henderson matched a career high with five 3-pointers while Christopher Galbreath Jr. added a double-double as Sam Houston jumped out to a 21-point first half lead, holding on for a 78-71 victory on Sunday afternoon at Tennessee Tech.
Henderson added a team-high 17 points, one off a season high, finishing 6 for 14 from the field and 5 for 8 from behind the arc in the win. Galbreath added 10 points, also one off a season best while bringing in a season-high 11 rebounds in the Kats first road win.
Sophomore John Dewey III dished out a career-best seven assists alongside nine points. Four Bearkats finished in double figures as Albert Almanza totaled 12 points including 5 for 7 from the field and Paul Baxter added 12 points including an 8 for 12 performance at the free throw line.
The win moved Sam Houston to 3-1 on the season. Sam Houston closes out its brief two-game road trip with a visit to Georgia Tech on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT. From there, the Kats continue their challenging non-conference slate, taking on Idaho at Johnson Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Sam Houston raced out to a 16-1 lead seven-and-a-half minutes into the game on the backs of 3-pointers from John Dewey III, Dakarai Henderson and Jamal Williams. Albert Almanza added back-to-back jumpers and a pair of Cameron Delaney free throws extended the lead to 24-3 midway through the opening half.
A Henderson dunk provided Sam Houston a 22-point lead, its largest of the half but the Golden Eagles chipped away, cutting the deficit to 14 where it stood at the break.
The Bearkats were just as tenacious on the defensive end, limiting Tennessee Tech to 15.1 percent shooting midway through the first half and 35 percent at the half. Sam Houston shot 6 for 11 from behind the arc compared to Tech's 2-for-9 performance.
Sam Houston forced 17 Tech turnovers, turning those into 21 points while forcing 10 steals in the opening 20 minutes. Nine different Kats found the bucket into the first half as Sam Houston's bench produced 21 points compared to the Golden Eagles' 13.
Chris Galbreath Jr. entered Sunday averaging 4.7 rebounds per game but picked up five in the first half while Dakarai Henderson, who reached the 1,000-career point plateau on Thursday, added a game-high 11 first-half points.
Early in the second half, the Golden Eagles cut the Sam Houston lead to single-digits at nine for the first time since three-and-a-half minutes into the game. Tennessee Tech scored the first five points of the period but Sam Houston answered in a big way.
The Bearkats produced a 13-0 run over 4:33, holding Tech scoreless for 5:18 while upping its lead to 20 points at 57-37 with 12:30 remaining. Galbreath converted a three-point play during the stretch and Henderson added to his day with another 3-pointer.
The Golden Eagles went on a major run of their own courtesy of a 16-3 stretch in which Tech trimmed the Sam Houston lead to six at 60-54 with eight minutes remaining. A pair of free throws with 4:18 remaining cut the Sam Houston lead to four but a layup from Majauskas and dunk from Baxter made it 73-65 with 3:39 remaining.
The Kats held on late, holding Tennessee Tech scoreless over the final 1:29 while Galbreath and Dewey hit a pair of free throws to close out the seven-point victory.
KEY STATS
Sam Houston held Tennessee Tech to 6 for 26 from behind the arc while Sam Houston matched a season high with nine three pointers. Sam Houston forced 22 turnovers, capitalizing to the tune of 26 points alongside 12 steals. Despite the Golden Eagles second-half surge, the Bearkats never trailed in the game.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Christopher Galbreath Jr. recorded a double-double, totaling 10 points and 11 boards. Dakarai Henderson matched a career-best five 3-pointers, finishing with a team-high 17 points and 6 for 14 performance from the field. John Dewey III also added a career-best seven assists.
