MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Sam Houston got its first serving of play on the road in Conference USA, and the taste of victory was sweet.
The Bearkats (10-8) overcame a rough shooting night to escape Middle Tennessee with a 60-51 victory at the Murphy Center to improve to 3-0 in conference play.
The game was an old-fashion schoolyard brawl as both teams traded the lead in a close contest that came down to the final minutes. The Blue Raiders (6-11, 0-2) led 45-44 with just under six minutes to go when
Lamar Wilkerson, who scored a career-high 27 points, buried a 3-pointer to give Sam Houston the lead.
Middle Tennessee tied it a 49 when the Bearkats, despite shooting 35 percent from the floor and 17 percent from 3, stepped on the gas to put it away.
Wilkerson drove the lane and laid a shot off the glass while being fouled with just under two and a half minutes left in the game. He converted the three-point play to push the lead back to three.
Marcus Boykin answered a Blue Raider basket with a layup and finished off a three-point play to make it 56-51 with 1:06 on the clock. Wilkerson drilled a pair of free throws, and
Jaden Ray put the finishing touches on the victory with a fastbreak layup in the final seconds to seal it.
Souleymane Doumbia added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Kats.
Damon Nicholas Jr. owned the glass with 13 rebounds, and Ray and Boykin each added six points.
Sam Houston started the game fast with a quick 9-0 lead before Middle Tennessee could get anything going. As quickly as the offense got going for the Kats, it came to a halt.
There was a stretch where the Bearkats went 2 of 18 on field goal attempts which allowed the Blue Raiders to creep back in it. Sam Houston was getting open looks but could not get anything to fall as all the breaks went Middle Tennessee's way.
The Blue Raiders took full advantage of Sam Houston's offensive woes. Middle Tennessee knocked down a 3, the fifth of the half at that point, with 3:07 left in the opening period to take the lead for the first time at 20-19.
The Kats trailed by as many as four but were able to get a basket by Wilkerson with a minute and a half left in the half to head into the break down 25-23.
NOTES
• Sam Houston is 3-0 to start conference play for the first time since the 2020-21 season, the Bearkats last year in the Southland Conference.
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Lamar Wilkerson has scored 20 or more points in three straight games. He had 24 points in an 81-77 win over Louisiana Tech on Jan. 6 and 21 points in a 78-74 victory over Western Kentucky on Jan. 10.
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Damon Nicholas Jr. grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. His previous best was 11 against Missouri State earlier this season.
