HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston started slow then stepped on the gas to excel past Paul Quinn 78-61 on Saturday evening at Johnson Coliseum.
Davon Barnes led the Bearkats (4-3) with 19 points and six rebounds, and
Damon Nicholas Jr. added 11 points.
Lamar Wilkerson finished with 10 points and
Anthony Wrzeszcz and
Kian Scroggins just missed double figures in scoring with nine.
The game was close for the majority of the first half, but Sam Houston was just warming up in the final minutes before the break. The Tigers got within 33-25 with 3:27 on the clock when the Bearkats began to make their move.
Nicholas ignited a run with a steal and a layup, and
Owen McGlashan made one before Nicholas scored again.
Marcus Boykin drained a pair of free throws right before the end of the half to put Sam Houston up 41-25 to cap an 8-0 run.
The Bearkats opened the second half with a 13-0 run to seize control of the game. Nicholas, Barnes and
Jaden Ray connected from behind the arc, and
Lamar Wilkerson converted a three-point play during the outburst that put the game away for good with Sam Houston up 28 at 57-29 with 16 minutes left in the game.
The Kats hit the road to face Arizona State on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
