JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) RJ Smith scored all of his 12 points in the second half and grabbed nine rebounds to help Sam Houston State Bearkats beat Jackson State Tigers 75-60 on Monday in the Cayman Islands Classic mainland.
Chad Bowie and Kai Mitchell each scored 12 points and Bubba Furlong added 11 for Sam Houston State (3-3).
Smith scored six points during a 16-2 run that gave the Bearkats a 64-45 lead with seven minutes to play and they led by double figures the rest of the way. Jackson State missed eight in a row from the field, made just 2-of-6 free throws and committed two turnovers during that stretch.
Furlong and Mitchell had four points apiece during an 11-4 spurt that gave SHSU a 28-19 lead with five minutes left in the first half but the Bearkats missed their next eight field-goal attempts as Jackson State scored 12 of the next 14 points to take its first lead since 2-0. Delaney's layup gave SHSU a 32-31 advantage at the break.
Chris Howell had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Venji Wallis also scored 12 for Jackson State (0-4). The Tigers have lost seven in a row dating to last season.
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