BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana had too much firepower for Sam Houston to overcome in a 97-71 loss at Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday evening.
The loss wrapped up a four-game road trip for the Bearkats (4-5) who also played in the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic last week in Wilmington, N.C. Sam Houston went 1-3 on the swing with a win over Colgate and losses to Appalachian State, UNCW and the Hoosiers who were ranked in the top 25 before Tuesday.
Lamar Wilkerson led the way with 18 points, and
Cameron Huefner added 17.
Dorian Finister scored 15 while
Brennen Burns and
Josiah Hammons each chipped in 10.
Sam Houston was on the verge of being out of it at the break, trailing by almost 20. The opening of the second half could not have gone any better.
Finister had a nasty fastbreak dunk off an assist by Wilkerson spark a 5-0 run that ended when Wilkerson nailed a 3 to cut the lead to 44-32. An old fashion three-point play by Huefner eventually saw the Kats claw within 48-39 with 16 and a half minutes to go in the contest.
Each time Indiana was able to find a way to kept Sam Houston from getting closer.
Brennen Burns had a 3 and a three-point play at crucial moments when the Hoosiers had pushed the lead back up to 14 or more, but the Bearkats just could not get any closer the rest of the way.
The second half was way more productive for Sam Houston. The Bearkats turned it up after the break, shooting 60 percent from the floor and 57 percent from behind the arc as opposed to only 26 percent in the first 20 minutes of the game.
Both teams were trying to get a feel for one another in the early goings. Indiana jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but Sam Houston finally got on the board when Huefner tossed up a 3 right at the end of the shot clock that found the bottom of the net.
Finister was able to get a floater to fall to tie the game at 7, and Wilkerson gave the Kats their only lead when he took a pass from Burns and drilled a mid-range jumper.
The Hoosiers locked in after that and went on an 8-0 run which Sam Houston never recovered. The Kats did go on a 7-0 run late in the period to get as close as 13 when
Josiah Hammons knocked down a 3 around a pair of free throws by Huefner and a layup by Finister but Indiana was able to push it back out to a 42-25 lead at the half.
The Bearkats finally return home to Johnson Coliseum for just the second time this season when they host Texas Southern on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
