HOUSTON -- Jaren Lewis and Hayden Farquhar each scored 14 points and Abilene Christian held off a late Sam Houston State run to defeat the Bearkats 84-81 on Saturday night.

Two Jaylen Franklin free throws gave Abilene Christian a 74-66 lead with 56 seconds left. Sam Houston State frantically rallied, tying it up on a John Dewey III 3 with seven seconds to go. Isaiah Tripp hit two at the line for the Wildcats, but Dewey III pulled them right back with two of his own.

But after a Paul Baxter foul, Jalone Friday stepped to the line and hit a pair to finally put the Bearkats away.

Franklin finished with 13 points for Abilene Christian (13-14, 7-9), which is in a race for the eighth and final Southland Conference tourney birth with two games left. The Wildcats are in a three way tie with Nicholls and Central Arkansas.

Dewey III finished with 31 points and six 3-pointers, both career-highs, for Sam Houston State (18-11, 9-7), which as lost three in a row.