DALLAS — Sam Houston almost overcame a 24-point deficit in the second half in a 75-66 loss to SMU at the Moody Center on Wednesday.
 
The Bearkats got a close as six points in the in the final few minutes but ran out of time in the end to fall to 2-4 on the season.
 
Savion Flagg led Sam Houston with 21 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Demarkus Lampley hit some key shots in the second half to finish with 16 points, and Jarren Cook and Jaden Ray each chipped in eight.
 
Tristan Ikpe just missed a double-double with seven points and 13 rebounds as SHSU won the battle on the boards 45-39.
 
The Kats cut that 24-point deficit to 16 when Lampley drove to the basket for a layup and got fouled. He hit the free throw for the three-point play to make it 55-39.
 
Sam Houston continued to battle and used a 7-0 run on another three-point play, this time it was Flagg who followed his own miss with a put back to make it 60-46 halfway through the period.
 
SMU finally ended its scoring drought with a free throw, but Flagg threw down a dunk off a pass from Ray to make it a 13-point game.
 
The Mustangs increased their lead again, and the Kats came roaring back with a 11-0 run.
 
Ray hit a 3 and Flagg added a pair of free throws. Lampley then heated up and knocked down back-to-back 3s to make it 69-63 with 2:50 to go.
 
Sam Houston just couldn't get anything to fall the rest of the way.
 
The Bearkats were within striking distance early in the game before SMU got rolling from 3-point range. Flagg hit a pair of 3s and Ikpe knocked down his first attempt from long range this season to pull within 13-11.
 
Ray made one of two free throw attempts to cut the lead to one, but the Mustangs responded with a 12-0 run to take a 25-12 lead midway through the first half.
 
SMU got hot from behind the arc, going 10 for 15 from long range to take a 46-27 lead into the break. The Kats locked them down from outside in the second half, allowing just three 3s in the final 20 minutes.