Kats travel to Western Michigan Sunday
1/2/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Sam Houston stands 8-4 for the season while Western Michigan brings a 6-5 mark into the contest. Both teams have won three of their last four games.
The Bearkats and Broncs met for the first time last year in Huntsville with Western Michigan winning in a thriller 65-62.
Down 13 points, Ashton Mitchell tied the game 62-62 on a pair of free throws with 22 seconds remaining. Derek Drews hit a trey with eight seconds to play for the winning points. Gary Shawntee led the Broncs with 16 points while Mitchell led both teams with 18. WMU's scoring leaders this season are 6-3 guard David Kool (19.3 points per game) and 6-5 forward Martelle McLemore (12.6).
Sam Houston's eight victories this year include wins over Auburn, Oral Roberts, Rider and Florida International. The victory over Auburn was the Kats' first ever over a Southeastern Conference opponent. The wins over ORU and Rider earned Sam Houston the Mayan Division championship at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico during Thanksgiving week.
However, the Kats saw their three-game winning streak come to an end last Monday in Dayton, Ohio. For the first time since a loss at Arizona in December 2005, Sam Houston did not have a player in double figures as Wright State handed the Bearkats an 88-48 loss. The Raider defense forced 16 turnovers, scoring 24 points off the miscues. Sam Houston had its worst shooting night of the year (15 of 52, .288).
The backcourt duo of Mitchell and Corey Allmond and junior transfer Gilberto Clavell at post continue to lead Sam Houston. Allmond and Ashton Mitchell combined for 27.8 points per game last year and are pairing for 27.6 points per contest this season.
Clavell, a 6-7 junior college transfer from Collin County, made an immediate impact, averaging 15.4 points and leading the Kats in rebounding with a 6.1 average. He has scored in double figures in eight games including performances of 34, 26, 21 and 20 points.
Sam Houston needs to get things turned around quickly as the Bearkats will open the 2010 Southland Conference schedule Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. when they play host to Stephen F. Austin, the defending league champions. The contest will be featured as a regional telecast on the Southland TV network.
Tickets for Sam Houston's Southland opener with SFA Jan. 4 are on sale now on-line at www.gobearkats.com.
Sam Houston students still can win a free Bearkat basketball t-shirt just by attending three Sam Houston basketball games. Home contests at Johnson Coliseum since December count towards each student's total of three games. Attendees are tracked via the BearkatOneCard.
All Sam Houston students are admitted free to Bearkat games at the Coliseum on presentation of their BearkatOneCard. The student entrance at Johnson Coliseum is Gate 27.
The Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field Events building at Bowers Stadium resumes regular hours Monday, Jan. 4. Those hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
For more information about home sports events at Sam Houston State, go on-line to www.gobearkats.com.
