Unbeaten Kats, Islanders battle Saturday
1/28/2010 9:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SOUTHLAND WEST DIVISION SHOWDOWN SATURDAY
The only two teams still unbeaten in Southland Conference play in 2010 clash head-on Saturday when Sam Houston travels to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
The Islanders have won their last six games in a row and stand 11-8 for the year and 5-0 in Southland action. Sam Houston has posted five consecutive victories, all over league foes. The Kats are 13-5 for the year.
A&M-Corpus Christi is led by 6-6 Kevin Palmer, a preseason All-Southland first team selection who ranks second in the Southland with 20.6 points this year. The Islanders' 6-7 Demond Watt ranks fourth in league rebounding with an 8.2 average.
With Sam Houston guard Corey Allmond (16.6 points) and center Gilberto Clavell (15.5 points) ranked No. 5 and 6, respectively, in the league, three of the top six scorers in the Southland will be on the same court Saturday.
The game will be broadcast live in Huntsville on KSAM 101.7 FM and on the internet at www.gobearkats.com
BEARKATS OFF TO 5-0 START IN SOUTHLAND ACTION
Sam Houston stands 5-0 in Southland play this year, the first time their 23 years in the conference that the Bearkats have won their first five league games. The Bearkats were 4-1 after five in 1988, 1990, 2001, 2003, 2007 and 2009.
This year's five consecutive conference victories rank as the sixth longest Southland winning streak for Sam Houston. The 2003 conference championship team had a nine game streak, the 2001 and 2009 squads both won seven in a row and the Kats had six-game streaks in 2005 and 2007.
ISLANDERS-BEARKATS SERIES RECORD
Saturday's game marks the 10th meeting between Sam Houston and A&M-Corpus Christi's men's basketball programs. The Bearkats have won six times and the Islanders three. Sam Houston won 72-51 in Huntsville and 75-73 in Corpus Christi.
BEARKAT BENCH STEPS UP WEDNESDAY
With a pair of starters in foul trouble in Wednesday's victory over Lamar, the Sam Houston State bench step up. The Bearkat reserves outscored the Cardinals' bench 37-18.
Preston Brown finished with 12 points and six boards. Freshman forward Aaron Thompson added seven points, while junior guard Lance Pevehouse chipped in nine points. Drae Murray (five points), Marco Cooper (two) and Arthur Zulu (two) also got in on the scoring for Sam Houston.
HIGH-SCORING BACKCOURT LEADS BEARKATS
Sam Houston is led by the highest scoring backcourt duo in the program's 23 years at the NCAA Division I level. Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell have combined for 27.6 points per game this season. The duo paired for 27.8 points last year.
Allmond, a 6-1 senior from Oxon Hill, MD, is averaging 16.6 points. He leads the Southland in three point field goals per game (3.1) and stands fifth in the league in scoring. Mitchell, a 5-11 three-year letterman from New Orleans, is averaging 12.0 points and leads the league with 4.8 assists.
TRANSFER BOLSTERS BEARKAT INSIDE GAME
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 16.6 points and leading the Kats in rebounding with a 6.5. He has scored in double figures in 13 games including 34 points in the win at Auburn. He has twice been named as Southland "Player of the Week."
WINNING RECORD A TEAM EFFORT
Preston Brown, 6-6 senior forward from Stringtown, Ok., is averaging 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds. Josten Crow, a 6-4 junior from Houston, ranks second in the team in rebounds (5.6) and is adding 7.1 points per contest. Lance Pevehouse, 6-2 junior from League City, TX, is scoring 5.8 this year. Sophomore 6-7 Antuan Bootle has stepped up into a starting role at post, averaging 4.8 points and 5.8 rebounds.
LAST GAME
Corey Allmond scored 24 points to lead Sam Houston to a 90-63 Southland Conference men's basketball victory over Lamar Wednesday night at Johnson Coliseum. Kendrick Harris led Lamar with 15 points. The Bearkats out-rebounded Lamar 41-31 with Antuan Bootle pulling down 11 boards for Sam Houston. Sam Houston never trailed, jumping out to a 20-10 lead on a lay-up by Allmond eight minutes into the game. The Kats built a 48-31 lead by intermission and led by as many as 31 points in the second half. Ashton Mitchell scored 14 points and Preston Brown added 12 for Sam Houston. Anthony Miles totaled 10 points for Lamar. The Cardinals now stand 10-11 for the year and 2-4 in league play.
BEARKATS HAVE POSTED BIG WINS THIS SEASON
Sam Houston's non-conference 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.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE POST-SEASON TOURNAMENT
The top two teams from both divisions, plus the next four remaining teams with the best records will advance to the Merrill Center in Katy for the annual post-season SLC tournament to decide the Southland's NCAA playoff representative.The tournament begins on Wednesday March 10 with four quarter-final games. The semi-finals will be played Thursday night March 11. The finals will be televised live on ESPN2 on Saturday March 13. For ticket information about the tournament see the Bearkats' Southland Conference Classic post-season tournament link.
SPECIAL SATURDAY NIGHT TICKET PACKAGE
The Sam Houston men play three Saturday night home games during Febuary. And now Bearkat fans have the opportunity to see all three men's basketball Saturday night games in February for a bargain price. With the "Saturday Night Southland Conference Ticket Package" a reserved seat ticket for all three contests is only $15. The three Saturday night men's basketball opponents are Central Arkansas Feb. 6, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Feb. 13 and UT-Arlington Feb. 27. Tip off time each Saturday is 7 p.m. Only a limited number of reserved seats for the three games remain, so fans need to act now.
Tickets for all 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.
