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HUNTSVILLE, Texas – In a game that saw 15 lead changes it was the host Sam Houston Bearkats who came away with the win as they held off the HBU men's basketball team, 87-80, on Saturday afternoon in Southland Conference action at Johnson Coliseum.
 
After taking a quick 6-3 lead, the Huskies (2-10, 1-3 SLC) hit a cold spell and went more than five minutes without scoring while the Bearkats (11-5, 5-0 SLC) jumped out to a 17-6 lead at the 14:48 mark. A Ryan Gomes layup at the 12:56 mark started a run where the Huskies made eight of nine shot attempts that included an 8-0 stretch and a 13-2 run that resulted in a 25-23 lead. SHSU's Manny Crump made a free throw but then Brycen Long connected on three free throws and Pedro Castro buried a three to give HBU its largest lead of the game, 31-24, with 7:31 on the clock.
 
The Bearkats stormed back with a 9-0 run to briefly regain the lead, 33-31, but HBU answered with a pair of Ty Dalton freebies to even it back up on the next possession. The Huskies then took the lead two more times in the half but went into the half knotted at 39-39.
 
In the second half, the teams traded leads with a Za-Ontay Boothman three giving the Huskies a 49-47 lead just over five minutes into the period. The Bearkats then scored the next seven to go ahead by five. SHSU would stretch that lead to six before HBU went on a seven-point burst of its own capped by a pair of Gomes buckets and a 60-59 advantage at the 10:38 mark.
 
Sam Houston scored the next 12 points for an 11-point lead followed by a Castro jumper and a Philip McKenzie old-fashioned three-point play to get within six but that was as close the Huskies would get the rest of the way.
 
Castro led the Huskies with 17 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the floor and a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Jason Thompson added a season-high 16 points off the bench, connecting on 6-of-10 from the floor, and adding five rebounds. Senior Ryan Gomes was the other Husky to score in double-figures, shooting 5-of-6 from the field for 11 points and his highest point total in an HBU uniform. Hunter Janacek led HBU with six rebounds while McKenzie added eight points in just six minutes off the bench.
 
HBU shot 46.8 percent (29-of-62) from the floor as a team and 32.1 percent (9-of-28) from deep. The Huskies also made 13-of-17 (76.5 percent) from the foul line. The Bearkats finished the day shooting 48.3 percent (29-of-60) overall and 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from three, including connecting on 8-of-13 from long-range in the second half.
 
The Huskies will be back on their home floor on Wednesday, Jan. 20, when they host Nicholls in Sharp Gym for a 7:00 p.m. tip.