Kats dismantle Seattle U

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- The Bearkats were in complete control Thursday night. Sam Houston used lock-down defense to make quick work of Seattle with a 55-40 victory at Johnson Coliseum.

The Kats (16-5 overall, 6-3 WAC) handed the Redhawks (16-5, 7-1) their first conference loss of the season by holding them to just 19 percent shooting from the floor and 19 percent from long range.

Donte Powers led the team with 13 points on 3 for 3 shooting from behind the arc. Damon Nicholas Jr. scored nine points, and Lamar Wilkerson and Kian Scroggins each finished with seven.

Qua Grant had a monster night on the glass with 14 rebounds and just missed a double-double with nine assists to power a Sam Houston offense that shot 48 percent from the floor and 55 percent from 3-point range. The Bearkats looked impressive from the start.

The teams went back and forth for the first few minutes, but then Sam Houston got hot and went on a 16-0 run. Cameron Huefner got it started with a jumper, and Wilkerson scored on a layup. Nicholas knocked down a shot, and Tristan Ikpe threw down a fastbreak dunk to make it 15-6.

Scroggins put back an offensive rebound then converted on a pair of free throw attempts. Nicholas scored on another fastbreak with a layup, and Wilkerson hit a jumper in the paint to as the Kats went on top 23-6 midway through the period.

Sam Houston led by as many as 18 twice in the second half. Powers drilled a 3 to end the half with the Bearkats leading 34-16. Sam Houston led by as many as 24 points when it opened the final period with a 6-0 run. The closest the Redhawks got was the final score.

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