DENTON — Despite a poor shooting performance from the free throw line and 3-point range, Sam Houston pushed North Texas to the limit in a 65-55 loss at the Super Pit on Tuesday.
 
The Bearkats (3-7) shot just 9 percent from behind the arc and 20 percent from the line. The Mean Green (6-3) shot only 22 percent from 3 but went 18 for 27 from the line.
 
Savion Flagg led Sam Houston with 20 points and 11 rebounds. JD Ray scored 10 points, and Tristan Ikpe added eight.
 
The teams traded baskets to start the second half, but Sam Houston finally got a rally going to trim an 11-point UNT lead to five.
 
Flagg drained the Bearkats first 3-pointer of the game after they opened 0 for 15 from long range. He followed that with another 3, and Sam Houston cut the advantage to 45-40 with 11:17 left.
 
The Kats finally made it a one possession game at 49-46 on consecutive baskets by Ikpe with at the 7:20 mark. UNT was able to open the game back up as Sam Houston struggled at the line and from 3 in the final minutes.
 
The Bearkats once again fell behind early after scoring the first basket of the game. The Mean Green responded with a 21-1 run to take a 21-3 lead eight minutes into the contest.
 
Sam Houston had an answer, however. Flagg scored seven quick points, including a three-point play, to spark a 15-5 run to get the Kats back in the game.
 
May scored back-to-back layups, and Flagg threw down a fast-break dunk to cut the lead to six. UNT hit a free throw, but Ikpe laid one in underneath the basket to make it a five-point game with 4:28 to go in the opening period despite being 0 for 11 from behind the arc at that point.
 
The Mean Green used a 10-4 run to close the half with a 36-26 lead.