Five Sam Houston State players scored in double figures, including three seniors playing in their final regular-season home game, to lead Sam Houston State to a 76-49 win over Central Arkansas. The Bearkats more than made up for a sluggish end to the first half by starting the second on a 23-0 run.
Sam Houston started five seniors on “Senior Night” – DeMarcus Gatlin, Michael Holyfield, Marquel McKinney, Jabari Peters and Kaheem Ransom – while the UCA Bears started four freshman and a junior.
“These (seniors) are the total package,” Bearkat coach Jason Hooten said. “I don't have to force these guys to go to class or force them to study or act like gentleman. They are class acts all the way around. Being able to coach guys like that is hard to put into words and then you add in all the games they've won.”
The only senior on the squad not to start the game, Kyle McLeroy, came off the bench to score five points in the final minutes of the ballgame.
The Kats came out for the second half on fire. They held UCA scoreless for the first nine minutes of the second half and scored 23 points to grow the lead to 56-26. SHSU led by as many as 32 points and the margin never got lower than 26 points in the final 10 minutes.
Central Arkansas finished the first half on a 10-2 run to cut the Sam Houston lead to just seven points, 33-26, at the break. The Bearkats went the final six minutes of the first half without a made basket. A pair of free-throws by DeMarcus Gatlin were the only points over that stretch.
“I was a little disappointed with our defensive intensity so I went in at halftime and expressed that to the team. Then we came out and held them scoreless for the first nine minutes,” Hooten said.
Ransom and Paul Baxter were the Bearkats' leading scorers with 12 points apiece. Dakarai Henderson and Holyfield each finished with 11 points and Gatlin added 10 points.
Holyfield was unstoppable to open his final regular-season game at Johnson Coliseum. The senior center scored the Bearkats first six points of the game, including an alley-oop dunk assisted by Gatlin.
The Bearkats had as many as a 15 point lead in the first half. Staying true to form, the Kats spread the scoring around in the first 20 minutes. Holyfield had and Henderson each had six first-half points while Baxter and Ransom each added five. Gatlin and Aurimas Majauskas had four points apiece in the first period.
Sam Houston will play its final two regular-season games on the road. The Kats head to Lamar Thursday at 7:30 p.m. before travelling to SFA for the finale Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
