Bearkats to host CIT first round game
3/15/2015 11:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
For the second straight season, the Sam Houston State men's basketball team will host a first round game in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Bearkats will welcome UNC-Wilmington to Johnson Coliseum on Wednesday night.
The Kats finished in second place in the Southland Conference with an overall record of 25-7. They lost in the finals of the conference tournament on Saturday night, falling to SFA for the second straight season in the finals.
“We are excited to still be playing basketball,” said head coach Jason Hooten. “With the season we put together, our players deserve the opportunity to continue playing. We appreciate everyone at CollegeInsider.com, including Joe Dwyer and Angela Lento, for inviting us to participate.”
UNC-Wilmington finished the regular season 18-13 and third place in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Seahawks lost in the semifinals of the CAA tournament, falling to Northeastern.
The Bearkats and Seahawks are included in a group of 32 team competing for the CIT championship. The CIT uses the old NIT model with no set bracket. After the first round of game, the field will be reset based on the opening round results. Three other Southland Conference schools are also participating in the tournament with Northwestern State and Incarnate Word also hosting first round games and Texas A&M Corpus Christi playing on the road.
“I think it says a lot about the quality for basketball being played in the Southland Conference to have five schools playing postseason basketball,” Hooten said. “I don't think nationally our league gets enough recognition and now we have a chance against a very good field.”
All games will be played on campus locations, with the semifinals and finals to be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
Last season the Kats hosted a pair of games in the CIT, including a victory over Alabama State in the first round. The Bearkats lost in the second round to San Diego.
The Bearkats finished the regular season with 25 wins, tied for the school record since becoming a Division I basketball program.
March 16
New Hampshire (19-12) @ NJIT (18-11) 6:00
March 17
Eastern Illinois (17-14) @ Oakland (16-16) 6:00
James Madison (19-13) @ USC Upstate (23-11) 6:00
Bowling Green (20-11) @ Saint Francis (16-15) 6:00
Norfolk State (20-13) @ Eastern Kentucky (19-11) 6:00
UL-Lafayette (20-13) @ Incarnate Word (18-10) 7:00
March 18
UMES (18-14) @ High Point (22-9) 6:00
Dartmouth (14-14) @ Canisius (16-14) 6:00
Corpus Christi (19-13) @ Florida Gulf Coast (22-10) 6:00
Cleveland State (24-8) @ Western Michigan (20-13) 6:00
Kent State (21-11) @ Middle Tennessee (19-16) 6:00
IPFW (16-14) @ Evansville (19-12) 6:05
UNC Wilmington (18-13) @ Sam Houston State (25-7) 6:30
Northern Arizona (19-14) @ Grand Canyon (17-14) 7:00
Sacramento State (20-11) @ Portland (17-15) 9:00
March 19
UT Martin (18-12) @ Northwestern State (19-12) 6:30
