Bearkat men host Texas State Wednesday
1/18/2010 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Sam Houston men play their first contest against a Southland Conference West Division opponent Wednesday when Texas State visits Johnson Coliseum for a 7 p.m. contest.
The Bearkats are 2-0 in Southland action after victories over East Division members Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern Louisiana. SFA is the defending league champion and won the East Division last season. The two victories represent the sixth time in Sam Houston's 22 years in the Southland that the Kats have started league play 2-0.
Sam Houston stands 10-5 for the year. Texas State is 8-9 for the 2009-10 season and 2-1 in league play.
The game will be broadcast live on KSAM FM 101.7 in Huntsville and on the internet on www.gobearkats.com .
The first 500 fans to enter Johnson Coliseum Wednesday night will each receive a free AT&T boom stick.
Also, Sam Houston students still can earn points towards the free Bearkat basketball T-shirt promotion courtesy of Student Activities and Bearkat athletics.
There have been approximately 200 winners thus far, but 300 still remain to be given away. Students need to attend a total of three men's or women's games to be eligible to win. Students qualifying for the T-shirt will be contacted via e-mail by Student Activities with information on how to pick up their T-shirt. For additional details see Free T-shirt Promo Details
Texas State is led by 6-7 Cameron Johnson and 6-5 John Rybak who are averaging 10.9 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. The Bearkats won in both meetings last year by scores of 79-75 in San Marcos and 92-82 in Huntsville. Sam Houston has won seven of the last eight games in the series.
Sam Houston is led by the highest scoring backcourt duo in the program's 22 years at the NCAA Division I level. Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell have combined for 27.5 points per game the past two seasons.
Allmond, a 6-1 senior from Oxon Hill, MD, is averaging 15.7 points per game. He leads the Southland in three point field goals per game (3.5). The past two seasons he has scored in double figures 35 times including a career high of 37 points at Rupp Arena against No. 4 Kentucky in November.
Mitchell, a 5-11 three-year letterman from New Orleans, is averaging 11.7 points and 4.3 assists this season. Both Allmond and Mitchell have earned Southland Conference "Player of the Week" honors this year.
Gilberto 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 16.1 points and leading the Kats in rebounding with a 6.3 average. He has scored in double figures in 10 games including 34 points in the win at Auburn. He has twice been named as Southland "Player of the Week."
Preston Brown, 6-6 senior forward from Stringtown, OK, is averaging 9.3 points per game. Josten Crow, a 6-4 junior from Houston, has stepped into a starting role this season after coming off the bench his first two years. Crow ranks second in the team in rebounds (5.7) and is adding 7.2 points per contest. He is one of the squad's top defenders and leads the Southland in assist/turnover ratio.
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 5.7 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. In the Auburn victory he posted a career high 10 assists. Returning lettermen 6-8 Arthur Zulu and 6-7 Antuan Bootle bring the Kats additional depth at the post position.
Mitchell scored 24 points to lead Sam Houston to an 84-79 Southland Conference men's basketball victory over Southeastern Louisiana Saturday afternoon in Hammond. The victory ended the Lions' eight-game home winning streak and kept the Bearkats perfect in Southland Conference action.
Brown's dunk after a rebound on a missed free throw was the go-ahead score for the Kats, putting Sam Houston ahead 80-78 with 58 seconds left. Gilberto Clavell added 18 points for the Kats and Corey Allmond added 15 and Brown 13.
Tickets for men's basketball home games are on sale now on-line at www.gobearkats.com . Fans also may purchase tickets at the Sam Houston 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. Ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
