Kats fight off Owls for third straight win

Wednesday, January 21

Huntsville

6:30 PM

12-7,4-4CUSA

Kennesaw State

12-7,4-4CUSA

Kennesaw St.

Sam Houston

Photo by: Jackson Milkovich

Kats fight off Owls for third straight win

1/21/2026 9:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston had the hotter hand Wednesday night to fend off Kennesaw State for a 93-87 victory in a 3-point shooting contest at Johnson Coliseum.

The Bearkats have now won three straight Conference USA games to pull even at 4-4 in league play and 12-7 overall. Po'Boigh King led the way with a game-high 22 points on 3 for 6 shooting from long range, and Damon Nicholas Jr. added three 3s of his own to finish with a season-high 15 points.

Sam Houston was 11 for 23 from behind the arc, shooting 50 percent to go along with a 56 percent shooting night from the floor. The Owls (12-7, 4-4) kept the Kats on the defensive, making 13 of 33 shots from 3-point range to keep pace.

It was a four-point lead in favor of the Bearkats at the break, but the Owls started the second period with a 5-0 run to take a one-point lead. However, Nicholas scored four unanswered to put Sam Houston back on top.

Matt Dann scored on a layup then back-to-back 3s by Nicholas and sophomore Justin Begg, who scored nine, pushed the advantage to 57-49. Dann then threw down a dunk for two of his four points, and baskets by Jacoby Coleman, who finished with eight points, and King made it a 14-point lead, the biggest of the game with 14 minutes to go.

KSU wouldn't go away and fought back to trim it to 73-71 nine minutes later as Sam Houston went two minutes without scoring. Natt, who added 10 points, finally ended the drought with a pair of free throws.

Veljko Ilic and Jacob Walker, who each chipped in 12 points, led a 6-0 run as Sam Houston was able to pull away late.