HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana men's basketball team dropped its first home game of the season Monday as first-place Sam Houston State pulled away in the second half for a 72-59 Southland Conference win at the University Center.

Southeastern (4-12, 1-2 Southland) headed to the half knotted up, 31-31, with Sam Houston (12-4, 4-0 Southland). The Bearkats scored the final five points of the half on a three-pointer by Kaheem Ransom at the 1:12 mark and then a jumper from Jabari Peters with 15 seconds remaining.

Onochie Ochie hit a free throw just 1:01 into the second half, giving the Lions the lead, 32-31, but Sam Houston scored seven straight over the next 2:05 to take the lead for good.

The Bearkats led by as much as 15 points, but Southeastern shaved a few points off the deficit over the final two minutes.

Zay Jackson led the Lions with 18 points. Fellow guard Joshua Filmore added 17 points and Daniel Grieves grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds.

Southeastern shot 35.1 percent from the floor (20-of-57), including 22.7 percent from three-point range (5-of-22). The Lions converted 14-of-23 from the free throw line (60.9 percent). The Lions out-rebounded Sam Houston, 37-34.

Peters poured in a game-high 21 points to lead the Bearkats. DeMarus Gatlin and Aurimas Majauskas each added 11 points. Majauskas also grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

Sam Houston shot 44.7 percent from the floor (21-of-47), including 28.6 percent from three-point range (6-of-21). The Bearkats converted 24-of-31 from the free throw line (77.4 percent).

Southeastern returns to the floor Saturday at 4 p.m. at Incarnate Word (9-4, 1-2 Southland).


SAM HOUSTON STATE (12-4, 4-0 SLC)
Peters, Jabari 6-10 6-8 21; Majauskas, Aurimas 3-6 5-6 11; Gatlin, DeMarcus 4-9 3-4 11; Ransom, Kaheem 1-6 4-6 7; Holyfield, Michael 2-4 3-3 7; Williams, Jamal 3-4 0-0 6; Baxter, Paul 1-3 2-2 5; Henderson, Dakarai 1-4 1-2 4; Burwell, Marcus 0-1 0-0 0; McKinney, Marquel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-47 24-31 72.

SOUTHEASTERN LA. (4-12, 1-2 SLC)
Jackson, Zay 8-18 1-3 18; Filmore, Joshua 7-11 0-0 17; Ochie, Onochie 2-5 4-10 8; Grieves, Daniel 1-5 3-4 5; Jenkins, Cedric 1-5 2-2 5; Upson, DeVonte 1-4 2-2 4; Guillory, Andrew 0-6 2-2 2; Barclay, Bret 0-0 0-0 0; Duplessis, Jimmie 0-3 0-0 0; Maggio, Dylon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-57 14-23 59.

Sam Houston State.......... 31 41 - 72
Southeastern La............... 31 28 - 59

3-point goals--Sam Houston State 6-21 (Peters, Jabari 3-5; Baxter, Paul 1-2; Ransom, Kaheem 1-6; Henderson, Dakarai 1-2; Williams, Jamal 0-1; Burwell, Marcus 0-1; Gatlin, DeMarcus 0-3; Majauskas, Aurimas 0-1), Southeastern La. 5-22 (Filmore, Joshua 3-6; Jenkins, Cedric 1-5; Jackson, Zay 1-6; Guillory, Andrew 0-1; Duplessis, Jimmie 0-2; Grieves, Daniel 0-2). Fouled out—Sam Houston State-None, Southeastern La.-None. Rebounds--Sam Houston State 34 (Majauskas, Aurimas 6), Southeastern La. 37 (Grieves, Daniel 10). Assists--Sam Houston State 13 (Ransom, Kaheem 4; Baxter, Paul 4), Southeastern La. 7 (Filmore, Joshua 2; Jackson, Zay 2; Jenkins, Cedric 2). Total fouls--Sam Houston State 19, Southeastern La. 23. Technical fouls—Sam Houston State-None, Southeastern La.-Grieves, Daniel; TEAM. A-390