Ragin' Cajuns come to Johnson Coliseum Saturday
12/2/2009 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Sam Houston State looks to extend its winning streak to four games when the Bearkats play host to Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday in a 2 p.m. contest at Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats earned the Cancun Challenge Mayan Division championship with victories over Oral Roberts and Rider in Mexico during Thanksgiving week. The Kats defeated ORU 71-65 and rallied for an 87-55 victory against Rider. Monday Sam Houston State defeated Mid America Christian of Oklahoma City 87-55 in the first contest in a three-game home stand.
But Louisiana-Lafayette will be the toughest challenge yet for the Bearkats so far this season at home. The Cajuns are 1-4 for the season after Tuesday 66-58 loss at LSU. The Cajuns defeated Louisiana College 90-68 but lost to Southern Miss 79-72 and Mobile 68-64 and McNeese State 60-58. Bearkat head coach Bob Marlin explains that the 1-4 record is deceiving.
"Louisiana-Lafayette is a good team," SHSU head coach Bob Marlin said. "We can't look at that 1-4 record and take them lightly. They battled LSU down to the wire in Baton Rouge Tuesday and they'll be ready for us after our close game last year. They are deep and long. They have nine seniors, three senior point guards and they eight players who are 6-7 or tallent. Louisiana will be as athletic a team as we will play all year in Johnson Coliseum."
Saturday afternoon's game pits two teams that battled last year in a thriller that was decided in the final seconds. Ashton Mitchell drove the lane for the winning basket with two seconds remaining to give Sam Houston State a 56-54 come-from-behind victory over Louisiana-Lafayette at the Cajun Dome Dec. 21, 2008. The Kats trailed 31-22 at halftime and were down by 10 points, 34-24 with 17:14 to play. Mitchell and Corey Allmond led Sam Houston with 17 points each.
A free throw by DeLuis Ramirez with 3:57 to play gave the Kats their first lead, 47-46 with 3:57. The lead changed hands twice more and there were three more ties before Mitchell's game-winning play.
Saturday marks the 15th meeting of the Bearkats and the Ragin' Cajuns on the basketball floor. The series is tied at seven victories apiece. Sam Houston won 56-54 in Lafayette last year. The Cajuns had won the five previous meetings with victories in 1993, 1990, 1989 and two in 1988.
Sam Houston is 3-1 against Louisiana-Lafayette in Huntsville. This year's Cajun squad features four players averaging in double figures led by 6-8 forward Tyren Johnson with 12.2 points and 8.6 rebounds a game.
"This is their third road game in a row," Marlin said. "They played LSU tough. At McNeese, they were down 14 late in the game and lost by two. They were also down two with three to play at Baton Rouge. They are playing their best basketball of the year. With their size, they present our team some real match-up problems."
The Bearkats enter Saturday's contest with three players averaging in double figures. Senior guard Corey Allmond leads the team with 16.3 points per game. Senior point guard Ashton Mitchell is scoring 13.0 points per game and junior center Gilberto Clavell adds 11.6 points per contest.
Allmond and Mitchell have earned Southland Conference men's basketball "Player of the Week" honors in back-to-back weeks. Allmond set a Rupp Arena and Sam Houston school record hitting 11 of 16 three-point shots as the Bearkats stayed with No. 4 Kentucky before 22,000 fans in a 102-92 loss to the Wildcats. He scored 37 points, the second highest individual point total by a Sam Houston player at the NCAA Division I level.
Mitchell earned his "Player of the Week" honor after leading Sam Houston to victories over Oral Roberts and Rider at the Cancun Challenge. Prior to the tournament, ORU had wins over Stanford and Oklahoma State and Rider had defeated Mississippi State. The point guard scored 16 points in the victory over the Golden Eagles and 28 in the come-from-behind win over Rider. He was selected to the Cancun Challenge all-tournament team.
Saturday afternoon's contest will be streamed live on www.gobearkats.com and broadcast by KSAM 101.7 FM in Huntsville.
For Saturday afternoon games in December and January, Sam Houston makes fans an incredible offer - four general admission tickets, four hot dogs, four popcorns and four sodas - all for just $28.
This "Saturday Afternoon Family Pack" for Bearkat men's basketball represents almost a 50 percent savings over the normal $52 cost of four tickets, four hot dogs, four popcorns and four sodas. A minimum of four tickets must be purchased. Additional tickets may be purchased at $7 each.
Fans can purchase a "Family Pack" in advance online at www.gobearkats.com or at Johnson Coliseum the day of the game.
Sam Houston students can win a free Bearkat basketball t-shirt just by attending the three Sam Houston basketball home games in December. Attendees will be tracked via the BearkatOneCard. All Sam Houston State students are admitted free to Bearkat games at Johnson Coliseum on presentation of their BearkatOneCard. The student gate at Johnson Coliseum is Gate 27.
For more information about home sports events at Sam Houston State, go on-line to www.gobearkats.com or contact the Bearkat Athletic Ticket Office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is 936 294-1729.
