Men look to bounce back at Colorado State Saturday
11/25/2010 8:21:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Bearkats opened the new season with a pair of home victories, defeating Mary Hardin-Baylor 72-47 and Northwestern Oklahoma State 90-68. Texas handed the Kats their first loss of the year in Austin Tuesday 84-50.
Colorado State brings a 2-0 record into the contest, defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 82-57 and Denver 77-66. The Rams return their leading scorer Dorian Green from a 16-16 squad last year. Forward Travis Franklin led Colorado State with 22 points in the victory over Denver.
Colorado State is a member of the Mountain West Conference.
Three Bearkats are averaging in double figures this season. Preseason first team All-Southland Conference forward Gilberto Clavell leads the squad with 16.7 points per game. The Puerto Rico product is also averaging 8.0 rebounds.
Senior forward Josten Crow has posted a 12.7 scoring average and 8.3 rebounds in the Kats' first three games.
The Bearkat back court of Lance Pevehouse and Drae Murray bring 7.3 and 6.0 scoring averages, respectively, to the floor.
Junior post Antuan Bootle led Sam Houston with 16 points at Texas Tuesday night, upping his scoring mean to 10.0 points per game. Bootle leads the Bearkats under the boards with 9.0 rebounds.
Bootle's play in Austin impressed Bearkat head coach Jason Hooten.
"I really liked the way Antuan is playing right now," Hooten said. "He worked hard during the off-season and has come back in great shape. If we can get what we saw Tuesday from him every night, he is going to be the best center in our league."
The Kats struggled on the offensive side of the floor at Austin where they shot just 29 percent for the game on 21-of-72 shooting, including 1-of-10 from 3-point range.
"We have put a lot of new stuff into our offense, and we are just not there yet," Hooten said. "I think thing are going to come along for us, but we have got to knock down our shots."
Sam Houston State plays four big home games at Johnson Coliseum in an eight-day stretch beginning Wednesday, Dec. 1, against Saint Thomas. The Dec. 1 game will be the first of five "Taco Bell Wednesday" games where fans can pick up special 2-for-1 ticket coupons at Taco Bell for the contests.
The other three games are against the University of Houston on Saturday, Dec. 4; North Texas on Wednesday, Dec. 8 and Cleveland State on Saturday, Dec. 11.
The official 2010 Southland Conference championship banner raising will highlight the Dec. 8 game with North Texas at 7 p.m.
The contest with the Houston Cougars will be a 2 p.m. Southland TV network game. Saturday, Dec. 11 is a 3:30 p.m. tip.
The new "Elite 8" ticket package offers Sam Houston fans the opportunity to see the defending Southland Conference men's basketball champions play eight big home games at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum this season.
The plan gives fans the opportunity to purchase a ticket to seven Saturday night games against NCAA Division I opponents (matchups with Houston, Cleveland State, Nicholls, UTSA, Southeastern Louisiana, A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas State) plus the Stephen F. Austin rivalry game on Wednesday, January 26 - all eight games for the remarkable price of only $50. The "Elite 8" ticket package is on sale now online on www.gobearkats.com/tickets .
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. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1764.
