THIBODAUX, La. — The Sam Houston State men's basketball team overcame a double-digit deficit to notch a key 84-81 road win over Nicholls in the Southland Conference opener at Stopher Gym Saturday.
 
The Bearkats (7-5, 1-0) trailed 68-67 with 9:25 to go in the game. Junior Tristan Ikpe hit back-to-back baskets, and freshman Jarren Cook and senior Demarkus Lampley both scored to put Sam Houston up for good at 75-68.
 
Lampley scored a career-high 27 points thanks to seven for 10 shooting from 3-point range. Cook finished with 16 points by going four of seven from behind the arc and Ikpe chipped in 10 points.
 
The Bearkats trailed by as many as 15 after Nicholls (2-5, 0-1) began the game by hitting eight of 11 3-point attempts in the first eight minutes. The Colonels cooled down and hit just one of their next seven attempts from long range to close the period.
 
Sam Houston was able to chip away at the lead, in large part because of the 3-point shooting of Lampley. He was five for six from behind the arc and scored 19 first-half points as the Kats rallied to take the lead 46-42 by outscoring Nicholls 35-16 to close the half.
 
The Colonels went just four of 22 from 3-point range after their hot start, while SHSU ended up outshooting Nicholls 50.0 percent (12 of 24) to 36.4 percent (12 of 33) from long distance. The Kats also outrebounded the Colonels 43 to 32.
 
Sam Houston stays on the road to face Southeastern Louisiana at the University Center Wednesday at 7 p.m.