Kats host Lamar Monday at 6:35 in TV game
2/1/2015 6:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Sam Houston men's basketball team will be looking for a third consecutive Southland Conference victory Monday at 6:35 p.m. when Lamar visits Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
The contest will be televised on ROOT SPORTS Southwest, regional television home of the Houston Astros and Rockets.
The Bearkats own a 16-5 overall record and stand second in the Southland standings with an 8-1 league mark. Lamar comes into Monday's contest with an 11-10 season mark. The Cardinals rank sixth in the league race with a 5-4 conference record.
With three players averaging in double figures in Southland Conference play, Sam Houston features a balanced attack.
DeMarcus Gatlin (11.9), Jabari Peters 11.7) and Paul Baxter (10.2) all own double figure league scoring means. Gatlin and Peters also own double figure averages for the season with averages of 11.1 and 10.1, respectively.
Kaheem Ransom (9.5 on the season), Dakarai Henderson (8.7), Michael Holyfield (8.9), Paul Baxter (8.4) and Aurimas Majauskas (7.4) also add to the Bearkats' offense.
Eleven players have scored in double figures for the Bearkats in games this season. Five totaled double figures in SHSU's victory over Abilene Christian last week.
Lamar ended a three-game losing streak with an 84-74 victory over Abilene Christian in Beaumont Saturday.
The Cardinals are led by senior Anthony Holliday who ranks second in the Southland in scoring with 23.2 points per game in conference games. He owns a 14.9 average for the entire season after knocking down 29 points in Saturday's victory over the ACU Wildcats.
Holliday has scored more than 20 points six times including one 30-point performance.
Sam Houston State leads the Southland Conference in scoring defense (60.5 points per game), scoring margin (+14.5 points) and field goal percentage defense (.383) this season and three-point percentage defense (.304).
The Bearkats also top the league in rebounding offense (41.8) and rebounding margin (+8.1) for the year. Holyfield, Sam Houston's 6-11 senior center, stands third in the league individually with 7.9 rebounds. He also is tops in the league with 53 blocked shots.
While Lamar leads the all-time men's basketball series with Sam Houston 30 victories to 29, the Bearkats have won seven of the pair's last eight meetings.
Sam Houston defeated the Cardinals 84-70 in Huntsville and 74-71 in Beaumont last season.
