HUNTSVILLE, Texas – WKU Hilltopper Basketball fell to Sam Houston, 78-74, on Wednesday night at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas. The Hilltoppers stand at 12-4 overall with the loss to the Bearkats and now chart a 1-1 record in Conference USA play.
Don McHenry led the Tops' effort on the road at Sam Houston, accounting for 15 points, three steals, two blocks, two rebounds and an assist. Khristian Lander led the team in assists with six to go with eight points, two rebounds and a steal.
Rodney Howard and Babacar Faye each grabbed a team-high six rebounds, while Tyrone Marshall Jr. charted three blocks, nine points, four rebounds and three assists.
Wednesday marked the first-ever meeting between WKU and Sam Houston in the Bearkats' inaugural season of CUSA competition. The Hilltoppers jumped out to an early lead in the first five minutes of play as Dontaie Allen connected from three to extend the WKU lead, 8-4, with 15:34 remaining in the first.
After Sam Houston evened the count at 8-8, Brandon Newman hit from deep to push the WKU lead to 11-8 with 12:05 to go in the half.
McHenry's first points of the night came off a pair of made free throws to regain a lead for the Tops, 13-12, at the 9:50 mark. The junior guard accounted for the Tops' next eight points to push the WKU lead to 19-14 with 8:36 to play in the half.
Teagan Moore got involved in the Tops' scoring late in the first half, connecting on a pair of 2pt buckets and a Marshall Jr.-assisted three to finish with seven points in the first. WKU entered the half trailing, 36-30.
The Bearkats maintained a narrow lead through the first six minutes of the second half, before the Tops briefly evened the count, 45-45, with 13:39 remaining off a Brandon Newman made layup. Sam Houston regained the lead on its next possession.
Marshall Jr. connected on a layup to give WKU its first lead of the second half, 67-66, with 3:12 remaining in regulation. The teams traded leads six times in the final three minutes of play, with a dunk by Howard giving the Tops a one-point lead with 2:12 remaining, and a made three by McHenry once again giving the team a one-point lead with 1:17 to play.
A made jumper by Marshall Jr. evened the count at 74-74 with 39 seconds left in regulation. Sam Houston responded with a go-ahead basket with 14 seconds to play.
A contested jumper by McHenry fell short with five seconds remaining, and a pair of made free throws gave Sam Houston a four-point advantage and sealed the 78-74 win in the Bearkats' favor.
WKU returns to Diddle Arena this Saturday, Jan. 13 for a matchup hosting CUSA newcomer Jax State set for 4 p.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network with live stats available to fans.
Follow the team on social media (@wkubasketball) for the latest news and updates on all things Hilltopper Basketball. Visit wkusports.com for more information.
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