Kats host Roadrunners Sunday
1/8/2012 6:26:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The game has special significance for the Bearkats as the Roadrunners are the team that knocked Sam Houston out of last year's Southland Conference post-season tournament in Katy.
The two last met on March 10 in the Southland semifinals with UTSA winning 79-70.
Sam Houston has won 12 of the last 15 meetings with the Roadrunners and hold a 10-9 all-time edge in games played in Huntsville.
UTSA has not won at Johnson Coliseum since a 68-64 victory on Feb. 14, 2004.
The 2012 Sam Houston team bares little resemblance to last year's squad. Five of the top six scorers on this year's edition of the Bearkats are newcomers.
Konner Tucker (11.2 points per game), Steven Werner (10.6), Demarcus Gatlin (9.5) and Darius Gatson (7.8) all are transfers while Michael Holyfield (6.5 points, 5.8 rebounds) is a true freshman.
Marcus James (9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds) is the only returning letterman in the lineup now with Antuan Bootle and Aaron Thompson both sidelined with injuries.
Early season injuries played a part in Sam Houston's 1-5 season start, but the team has shown consistent improvement through December.
The Bearkats defeated Northern Arizona 73-49, Samford 74-58 and Jarvis Christian 83-49 in the last three home appearances and stand 6-0 at Johnson Coliseum.
Coming off the largest Southland Conference victory in program history, UTSA stands 8-6 for the year. The Roadrunners opened league play with a 91-40 victory over Nicholls. A victory in Huntsville would give the Roadrunners their first three-game winning streak of the season.
The Roadrunners are unanimous picks to win the Southland West Division championship.
UTSA is led by Melvin Johnson with 14.2 points per game and Jeromie Hill with a 12.1 scoring average.
