HUNTSVILLE — Senior Devin Gibson scored 20 points, but Lance Pevehouse poured in a game-high 23 to lead Sam Houston State to an 88-67 victory against UTSA on Saturday night at Johnson Coliseum.
Gibson tallied a dozen of his points at the free-throw line on 16 attempts (both season highs) in recording the 20th 20-point game of his career. Freshman Jeromie Hill joined Gibson in double figures with 14 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore Melvin Johnson III added nine points for the Roadrunners (10-9, 3-3 SLC).
Pevehouse drained 5-of-8 from behind the 3-point line to help the Bearkats (10-10, 3-4 SLC) snap a three-game losing streak. Josten Crow (17), Gilberto Clavell (15) and Drae Murray (13) also reached double digits, while Antuan Bootle grabbed a game-best eight boards.
The Roadrunners shot just 37 percent for the game and made only 5-of-19 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Sam Houston fired at a 57.1-percent clip, including making 10-of-21 from downtown. The Bearkats trailed by five early, but they built a double-digit lead by halftime and never looked back.
UTSA struggled shooting in the first half, as it missed its first eight shots behind the arc and made just 32.3 percent (10-of-31) overall. The lead changed hands five times in the opening stanza, but the Sam Houston used an 8-0 run to build a 13-point lead in the final two minutes and took a 36-25 advantage into the locker room.
The drought from downtown continued through the first nine attempts before Hill connected from the wing at the 14:46 mark in the second half, marking the program's 500th consecutive game with a 3-pointer dating back to 1994.
UTSA cut the deficit to 10 on Hill’s trey, but the Bearkats answered with a 23-9 run to push its lead to 24 midway through the frame. A long 3-pointer and a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions by Pevehouse extended the Bearkats’ lead to 82-55 with just over four minutes to play.
The Roadrunners return home to host UT Arlington (10-9, 4-2 SLC) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2 (please note change from originally-scheduled time).
