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HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Freshman guard Oliver Lynch-Daniels led HBU men's basketball with a career-best 20 points, including six three-pointers, but the Huskies dropped their Southland Conference matchup to Sam Houston State on Saturday evening in Johnson Coliseum by a score of 81-68.
 
The Bearkats (10-8, 4-1 SLC) jumped out to a 7-0 lead with HBU (4-14, 0-5 SLC) picking up its first basket at the 16:38 mark on a Braxton Bonds layup. The Huskies got within three at 9-6 but a 12-3 run capped by a pair of Marcus Harris free throws put SHSU ahead by 12. HBU was able to whittle that lead down and an Oliver Lynch-Daniels three with 3:26 on the clock made it a 27-25 ballgame with the Huskies trailing by just two. Sam Houston State pushed its lead back to 10 over the next minute but HBU closed the half with a 9-3 run over the final 1:26 to head into halftime trailing 39-35.
 
Jalon Gates knocked down a jumper for the first bucket of the first half and a big dunk in transition from Ian DuBose tied the game at 39-39 at the 18:35 mark. HBU then went through a four minute and 32 second scoreless drought, falling behind 50-39 with a Gates three getting the Huskies' offense back on track. A Lynch-Daniels three with 12:55 mark pulled HBU within seven but it was the closest they would get the rest of the way. The Bearkats' lead got up to 19 but HBU was able to trim that and get back to within 12 on a David Caraher trey with 1:40 left.
 
Lynch-Daniels, whose previous high for a game was 10, went 7-of-12 from the floor and 6-of-9 from behind the arc to lead the Huskies with 20 points while also adding three rebounds and a pair of assists. Caraher just missed out on his third double-double of the year, notching 16 points along with nine rebounds.
 
Bonds finished the game with 11 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals. The Huskies shot 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the floor and 37 percent (10-of-27) from three while SHSU was hot from distance, connecting on 12-of-23 (52.2 percent), and hit 41.4 percent (24-of-58) from the field.
 
Harris led all players with a career-best 27 points, scoring 13 of those at the free throw line. Chris Galbreath Jr. added 15 points and 13 rebounds for Sam Houston State in just 17 minutes on the floor.
 
The Huskies travel to Hammond, La. to take on Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7:00 p.m.