HUNTSVILLE — The Bearkats overcame a double-figure first half deficit to drop Nicholls 78-71 in Southland Conference men's basketball action at Johnson Coliseum Saturday.
 
Junior Zach Nutall scored a game-high 23 points, junior Donte Powers chipped in 15 points and junior Tristan Ikpe recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Junior Javion May crashed the boards with 11 rebounds.
 
After trailing by as many as 15 points midway through the first half, the Bearkats (14-6, 8-1 in SLC) got rolling in the second. Nutall hit a 3 to put SHSU up 46-43 and it ignited a 10-0 run.
 
May then scored on a layup and Powers knocked down a 3 and a two-point basket. The Colonels (10-6, 7-2), who missed 21 straight shots in the second half, finally hit a shot to stop the run, but Nutall answered with a 3 to give Sam Houston its biggest lead of the game at 56-45 with just over 14 minutes left in the game.
 
The Bearkats struggled offensively which allowed Nicholls to build a double-digit lead in the first half. Sam Houston started the game by missing its first eight shots before Nutall scored on a layup at the 14:06 mark.
 
Nutall scored the Kats' first eight points and knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 17-8 with 11:55 to go in the opening period. Nicholls responded with a 6-0 run to go back up 15.
 
It didn't stay that way for long.
 
Sam Houston followed with an 17-0 run on a pair of layups by Powers, a basket by junior Javion May, two layups by Ikpe and a 3-pointer by freshman Jarren Cook to erase the deficit. Nutall hit a 3 from the left corner to give the Bearkats their first lead of the game at 24-23, and freshman Bryce Monroe hit a free throw to cap the run with 5:23 to go in the half.
 
The game went back and forth with Nicholls hitting a 3 at the buzzer to take a 33-32 lead into the break.
 
The Bearkats will host Southeastern Louisiana Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.