BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky — Sam Houston finally picked up the big road win the team has been searching for in Conference USA play.

Lamar Wilkerson scored the game-winning layup with 17 seconds left as the Bearkats (13-9, 6-1) held off a last-second shot by Western Kentucky for a 79-77 victory at E.A. Diddle Arena on Thursday.

Sam Houston’s only CUSA loss came on the road at Liberty on Jan. 20 and in the second half Thursday, it looked like the road might catch up with the Kats again as the Hilltoppers (14-7, 3-4) led 66-58 with less than eight minutes to go.

Damon Nicholas Jr., who had a monster game with 14 points and six boards, cut the lead to 66-65 with a 7-0 run by himself that was capped with a 3-pointer. Western Kentucky was able to go up four with four minutes left in the game, but Sam Houston again answered.

Nicholas, Davon Barnes and Wilkerson all scored to give Sam Houston its first lead since the opening period at 75-74, and the Kats never looked back.

Barnes led the way with 21 points, and Cameron Huefner, who had one of his best games of the season, finished with 18 on 4 for 9 shooting from behind the arc. Wilkerson and Marcus Boykin each finished with six points, while Kian Scroggins had seven off the bench.

Barnes had a remarkable start to the game, setting a school record by scoring the first 13 points for the Kats, who fell behind out of the gate. His layup with 15:32 to go in the first put Sam Houston on top 13-12, but the lead would not last.

The Hilltoppers quickly reclaimed the lead after Barnes left briefly after a nasty fall on the court. Huefner kept the Kats close by scoring five unanswered points, and he hit a 3-pointer midway through the half to make it a five-point game.

WKU led by as many as 13 twice after that, the latter coming at 40-27 with 3:26 to go in the period.

Sam Houston wouldn’t go away though. Huefner scored five more unanswered to spark a 7-0 run capped by a driving layup through the lane to cut it to 40-34.

The Hilltoppers pushed the lead back to eight only to see Barnes and Scroggins to score back-to-back baskets in the final minute to go into the half down 40-38.

Sam Houston stays on the road to face FIU in Miami on Saturday at 1 p.m. CST.

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