Auburn Tigers next for men's basketball
12/18/2009 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
After a break for finals week, Sam Houston State returns to action Sunday, Dec. 20, for a 1 p.m. road contest at Auburn. The contest will be televised regionally by ESPN.
"This is a tough time of year for all college basketball players," Kats head coach Bob Marlin said late last week. "The guys are trying to take exams, while getting ready for the few games that we have had. But we look forward to playing Auburn."
The Bearkats (6-3) are going to have their hands full against a talented Tigers squad that is 5-5 and is coming off a close 76-72 loss to Florida State, a squad that is receiving votes in the Top 25 polls.
Auburn has four players averaging double digits in scoring. The Tigers are led by senior point guard DeWayne Reed, who played at Wheatley High School in Houston. He is averaging 15.8 points per game. Sophomore guard Frankie Sullivan adds 14.2 points, while senior forward Lucas Hargrove and senior guard Tay Waller average 13.3 and 12.5, respectively.
Sullivan and Waller are both shooting more than 40 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
"They are a good team and they had Florida State on the ropes the other night," Marlin said. "They run a three-guard offense and they have some guys that can score. Their point guard who played at Wheatley is really good."
This the second time this season that Sam Houston faces a Southeastern Conference opponent. The Bearkats hung with third-ranked Kentucky in a 102-92 loss on Nov. 19.
Everything SHSU needed to do to keep pace with the Wildcats fell into place. Senior guard Corey Allmond set a Rupp Arena record by knocking down 11 3-points. The Bearkats also got seven more treys from the rest of the team, which also set the Rupp record for most 3s made my a team in a single game.
Kentucky's size was too much to overcome. The Wildcats outrebounded the Bearkats by 15. Forwards Demarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson combined to score 47 points as Kentucky outscored Sam Houston 48-18 in the paint.
Even though Auburn is a guard-oriented team, the Tigers do have four guys on their roster who are 6-foot-8 or taller and all have seen playing time this season.
"Rebounding is going to be the key for us. That is what hurt us at Kentucky," Marlin said. "This is going to be a lot like that game. When you play an SEC team it is always difficult because of their length. We also need to not give them transition opportunities because that is when they are at their best.
"We need somebody to have another big scoring night. If we can get Corey, Ashton (Mitchell), Drae (Murray) and Lance (Pevehouse) going we will be in good shape.
Sunday's contest at Auburn marks the 13th time Sam Houston has challenged a Southeastern Conference team since the university moved up to the NCAA Division I level in 1986-87.
Still looking for their first SEC victory, the Bearkats have come close several times. Ole Miss won a 73-71 thriller over Sam Houston in 1991 and produced a 71-65 win against the Kats in a rematch in 2000. Sam Houston lost 85-81 in overtime to Arkansas in 1996.
The Bearkats' foe in their 2003 NCAA regional apperance was Florida in Tampa. Sam Houston also has played contests against Alabama and LSU.
Sam Houston is led by the highest scoring backcourt duo in the program's 22 years at the NCAA Division I level. Allmond and Ashton Mitchell combined for 27.8 points per game last year and are pairing for 30.0 points per contest this season.
Allmond, a 6-1 senior from Oxon Hill, MD, set a school record with 99 treys to rank No. 14 in the nation in three point shooting last year. He scored in double figures in 25 of 31 games including 14 performances of 20 or more points. This year, Allmond leads the Southland and stands No. 14 nationally in threes per game with a 3.3 average.
Mitchell, a 5-11 three-year letterman from New Orleans, became the fifth point guard under Marlin to lead the Southland and rank in the top 10 nationally in assists in 2009. Mitchell stood No. 5 in the NCAA with 6.8 assists per game. He also added 12.5 points per contest. This season he is averaging 12.8 points and leads the Southland with 5.2 assists.
Allmond and Mitchell were named as two of the five first-team players on the 2010 Preseason All-Southland Conference team. Both also have earned Southland "Player of the Week" honors this year.
Clavell, a 6-7 junior college transfer from Collin County, has stepped in as a starter this season. The Mayaquez, Puerto Rico product has made an immediate impact, averaging 14.2 points and leading the Kats in rebounding with a 5.9 average. He has scored in double figures in six games including performances of 26 and 21 points in his last two outings.
Clavell averaged 16.1 points and 6.5 rebounds on a 27-5 team at Collin County last year. Clavell was recruited to replace All-Southland Conference center Barkley Falkner, the Southland Conference men's basketball "Student-Athlete of the Year" in 2009 as a senior.
Preston Brown, 6-6 senior forward from Stringtown, OK, is the team's fourth leading scorer this season with a 9.6 average.
Josten Crow, a 6-4 junior from Houston, has stepped into a starting role this season coming off the bench his first two years. Crow ranks second in the team in rebounds (5.2) and is adding 5.8 points per contest. He is one of the squad's top defenders.
Lance Pevehouse, 6-2 junior from League City, TX, has been the sixth man for the Bearkats the past two years. He averaged 9.1 points last season and is scoring 5.0 this year. He stood second on the team in 2009 with 50 three point baskets last year after transferring from San Jacinto College.
Huntsville product Drae Murray is in his second season as the Bearkats' backup point guard. He totaled 64 assists and scored 5.9 points as a true freshman in 2009.
Following Sunday afternoon's game, the Bearkats will return to Johnson Coliseum Tuesday night to play host to Florida International and their new head coach former NBA star Isiah Thomas. The contest is at 7 p.m.
Purchase tickets to see FIU and their head coach Isiah Thomas now on www.gobearkats.com or contact the Sam Houston State athletic ticket office. The ticket office is located in the Ron Mafrige Field Events Center at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
For more information about home sports events at Sam Houston State, go on-line to www.gobearkats.com.
