HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Sam Houston State ended Southeastern Louisiana's bid to start 2-0 in Southland Conference play as the Bearkats pulled away in the third quarter for an 80-56 victory win Thursday night.

    Southeastern (2-11, 1-1) cut a 16-point deficit to four on a three-point play by Nanna Pool with 5:51 left in the third. But Sam Houston State (6-7, 2-1) closed the quarter on an 18-9 run, then out-scored the Lady Lions 23-12 in the fourth quarter.

    Pool recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Peaches Anderson added 10 points for the Lady Lions who shot 27.1 percent for the game, 14.3 percent (4-of-28) on 3-pointers.

    Shernise Robertson had a game-high 29 points for Sam Houston, tying a school record with seven 3-pointers. She also had six rebounds. Angela Beadle finished with a game-high 13 rebounds to go with 17 points and four blocks. Laurynn McGowen came off the bench to score 15 points and dish out six assists. The Bearkats shot 42.2 percent for the game, including 50 percent (14-of-28) in the second half while out-rebounding Southeastern 57-37.

    Robertson answered Pool's three-point play with a 3-pointer. Chey Stewart hit two free throws to keep Southeastern within seven with 4:23 left. But Beadle drove in for a layup, Robertson hit a 3 and Beadle added a jumper to give the Bearkats a 53-39 lead with 2:23. Two McGowen free throws made it 57-44 going into the fourth quarter.

    Neither team scored in the final period until McGowen hit a jumper at the 7:02 mark. Southeastern cut the deficit to 62-53 on a Dani Fielder jumper with 4:53 left. But that would be the Lady Lions' last field goal as Sam Houston closed on an 18-3 run. A Kamry Orr jumper gave the Bearkats their biggest lead at 80-54 with 1:35 remaining.

    Southeastern used a 6-0 run to take a 10-4 lead on a Pool layup with 3:10 left in the first quarter. Sam Houston answered with a 9-1 spurt, taking a 13-11 run at the end of the period on a layup by Robertson.

    Southeastern tied the game for the fourth time at 16 on a 3 by Taylin Underwood with 8:36 left in the half. Robertson put Sam Houston up for good on a layup at the 7:45 mark. That was the start of an 8-1 run by the Bearkats with a layup by Orr making it 24-17 with 3:52 left. After a 3 by Erica Hernandez, Sam Houston finished the half on a 10-0 run, taking a 34-20 halftime lead on a pair of Robertson 3s and a layup by Jasmine McCants.

    The Bearkats went up 36-20 on a tip-in by McCants with 9:15 left in the third. KaeLynn Boyd started a 15-3 run for Southeastern with a layup at the 8:49 mark. Anderson had a pair of 3s during the stretch, the second bringing the Lady Lions to within 37-32 with 7:04 left.

    Southeastern concludes the two-game Texas trip with a visit to Houston Baptist Saturday at 4 p.m.