COLLEGE STATION ? Playing Texas A&M for the first time in 10 years, the Sam Houston State Bearkats fell to the Aggies 60-50 Sunday night at Reed Arena.
After a week's layoff for Christmas, the Bearkats struggled shooting from the floor, hitting just 33 percent of their shots for the game, including a 24 percent clip from 3-point range. Both percentages were season lows.
Ashton Mitchell led the way for the Bearkats with 16 points and DeLuis Ramirez scored 10, but leading scorer Corey Allmond was held scoreless for the first time this season.
The Bearkats hit a rough stretch shooting in the first half. Lance Pevehouse hit a 3-pointer with 9:18 to play in the first to cut the Aggie lead to four at 15-11. But then they went the next five minuets without a basket. Ramirez hit a jumper with 4:23 to play in the half to snap the dry spell.
“We weren't able to score for the longest, and you have to credit their defense,” Marlin said. “You have to give them credit. I was happy with the way our guys fought and stayed with them. We executed well at times, but we just didn't get the ball in the basket.”
The Kats did make a run at the end of the first half, mostly on the play of Ashton Mitchell. The junior point guard scored the final seven points of the half for the Kats, getting the Aggie lead down to five at 28-23.
A bucket by the Aggies in the final 10 seconds put A&M with a 30-23 lead at the break. The late surge by Mitchell at the end of the first half was the only thing that kept the Kats from shooting less than 30 percent in the first half.
The Aggies were limited to just a 40 percent shooting clip for the game, and the Bearkats were able to get a 41-40 rebounding advantage. However, from close range, the Aggies did their damage, outscoring the Kats 38-22 in the paint.
“We wanted them to shoot it on the perimeter and they were able to get it inside on us. They got some dunks and then some offensive rebounds. They were just too big and too strong for us inside.”
The Kats will be back in action on Tuesday in a home game against Northwest Oklahoma. The get is set to tip off at 7 p.m.
