Demons invade Johnson Coliseum
2/22/2011 6:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Both squads bring 7-5 league records into the 7 p.m. tilt at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. Both stand one game out of first place in their respective Southland Divisions.
SHSU is tied for second with UT-Arlington and Stephen F. Austin behind 8-4 Texas State in the West. Northwestern State is one game behind 8-4 McNeese State in the East.
At 6-6 this year, UTSA in the West and Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls and Lamar are flirting with elimination from the race for one of the eight post-season tournament berths.
"Top to bottom, this race is so close that every game counts," Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten said. "We have four games left, two at home and two on the road. Everyone has to stay focused now on what we have to do."
Only four times in the 51-year history of Southland men's basketball has a team with five or more conference losses won the regular season championship (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004). In 1997 Southwest Texas, Northeast Louisiana and McNeese State all tied with six losses apiece. The 2004 season also saw a three-way tie with Southeastern Louisiana, UT-Arlington and Texas-San Antonio each having five losses.
Northwestern State brings a 15-12 season mark into Johnson Wednesday night. The Demons are led by 6-5 senior forward Will Pratt who is averaging 17.7 points and 6-1 senior guard Devon Baker is owns a 15.3 scoring mean.
Sam Houston stands 14-11 for the year. Two seniors, 6-7 Gilberto Clavell and 6-4 Josten Crow, lead the Bearkats with averages of 19.4 and 13.3 points respectively.
The Bearkats versus Demons is traditionally a tight battle. Northwestern State holds a slim 27-26 edge in the all-time series. Since the two became members of the Southland Conference in 1988, SHSU has the edge 22-21.
Sam Houston has taken the last two meetings with the Demons, winning 84-66 in Huntsville in 2009 and 103-75 last year in Natchitoches.
Wednesday night, one sharp-shooting Sam Houston State student will win a year's apartment lease for the 2011-12 school year in the second annual "Great Bearkat Shootout Presented by The Grove."
The "Shootout" first round will be held after the SHSU-Northwestern State game on Wednesday, February 23. That evening the field will be whittled down to two finalists for the SHSU-Texas State home finale Saturday March 5 at Johnson Coliseum. Tip-off for both games is 7 p.m.
Tickets for all Sam Houston home athletic events are on sale online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the SHSU 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) 294-1729.
