Men take on Prairie View Saturday at 4:30
12/19/2014 9:35:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Two teams that went double overtime when they battled last year face a rematch Saturday when Sam Houston plays host to Prairie View A&M in Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum at 4:30 p.m.
A year ago in November, Sam Houston defeated the Panthers 108-103 in two overtimes on Prairie View's home floor. Jabari Peters, then playing only his third game as a Bearkat as a junior college transfer, led the SHSU men with 29 points.
The 2014-15 edition of the Sam Houston men's basketball team comes into Saturday's game with a 6-4 record that includes a perfect 4-0 mark on the Kats' home floor. The team is coming off an impressive 76-54 victory over Eastern Washington Tuesday night.
“Tuesday went great. It played out just like we wanted it to,” SHSU head coach Jason Hooten said. “We made shots and we guarded like we have all season.”
While only one Bearkat starter is taller than 6-4, this season's Sam Houston team ranks third nationally in rebounding. The Kats are out-boarding their foes 44.2 to 35.0 per game. SHSU out-rebounded a much taller LSU lineup last weekend in Baton Rouge 50-42.
“Two things we focus on are keeping our opponent's field goal percentage low and rebounding the ball well,” senior guard DeMarcus Gatlin said.
Sam Houston has limited its opponents to only 38.5 percent shooting from the floor in the Kats' first 10 games.
Gatlin and senior guard Kaheem Ransom lead the SHSU men in scoring. Ransom is averaging 11.6 points per game while Gatlin is scoring 10.5 points per contest. Depth is a team strength with five other players averaging 7.0 points per game or more.
Prairie View A&M brings a 1-9 mark into Johnson Coliseum Satuurday. The Panthers have played a challenging schedule that has included road games against TCU, Oklahoma State, Rice, Baylor, Memphis and Texas Tech.
The Panthers return four starters from last year's squad that took Sam Houston to double overtime and reached the finals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference basketball post-season tournament.
John Brisco, a 5-11 senior guard, leads Prairie View A&M with 13.2 points per game. Also averaging in double figures for the Panthers are senior guards 6-2 Montrael Scott (12.8) and 6-2 Tre Hagood (11.1).
Following the Prairie View tilt, the Sam Houston men will take a short Christmas break before returning to action in their final non-conference matchup with Howard Payne at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 29.
Sam Houston begins the 2015 Southland Conference schedule on Saturday, Jan. 3, when the Bearkats play host to Incarnate Word.
Bearkat basketball tickets are available online at www.gobearkats.com or at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
