WILMINGTON, N.C. – After a Dorian Finister fastbreak layup gave Sam Houston (3-3) a one-point lead with 54 seconds to play, the Mountaineers gave the ball to Myles Tate looking to answer. With the shot clock dwindling, Tate dribbled to the left of the free-throw line and fired up a fadeaway shot that hit nothing but the bottom to give App State (4-2) a 64-63 lead with 24 seconds to play.
On the other end, the Bearkats and Marcus Boykin drew a shooting foul, but Boykin injured his elbow on the play. The injury sent Kalifa Sakho, a 50 percent free-throw shooter, to the line where he missed both free throws.