Men Return To Johnson Saturday vs. New Orleans
1/8/2016 8:53:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MEN'S BASKETBALL SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Sam Houston (7-8, SLC 2-0) versus New Orleans (5-7, SLC 1-0)
4:30 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum
For tickets call (936) 294-1729 or go online at www.gobearkats.com
Radio: KSAM 101.7 FM
TWO OF LEAGUE'S SIX UNBEATEN TEAMS DUEL
Sam Houston is 2-0 and New Orleans is 1-0 coming into Saturday's game. The Bearkats picked up road wins Saturday and Monday to begin league play. The Kats defeated Incarnate Word 78-72 in San Antonio and Northwestern State 94-79 in Natchitoches. New Orleans opened league action with a 68-64 road victory over Lamar in Beaumont.
FIRST HOME GAME FOR KATS SINCE DECEMBER 14
The Sam Houston men's basketball team is making its first home appearance at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum since a 96-54 victory over LeTourneau on December 14. The Bearkats have traveled to Brooklyn, NY; El Paso; Denton; San Antonio and Natchitoches, La., since then.
SAM HOUSTON 2-0 IN SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE PLAY
Sam Houston's two wins mark the sixth time in the Bearkats' 29 years in the league that the Sam men have started Southland action 2-0. The previous 2-0 starts were in 1990, 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2015. In both 2003 and 2010 the Kats went on to win the regular season championship. All but the 2007 team went on to win their third game.
BEARKATS VERSUS PRIVATEERS ALL-TIME SERIES
Sam Houston and New Orleans meet in men's basketball for the 7th time Saturday. The Bearkats lead the series 5-1. UNO won the pair's first meeting in 1987 99-67 in New Orleans. The Sam men defeated the Privateers 68-62 in New Orleans last year.
CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Road games at SMU, California, Texas Tech, UTEP and North Texas and a tournament match-up with UC-Irvine made up the Bearkats' challenging non-conference schedule. Sam Houston completed pre-Southland play with a 5-8 record. Sam Houston defeated Bethune-Cookman 71-46 in Las Vegas, picked up a road victory at LIU-Brooklyn 75-69 and took Southern Illinois to overtime at home in other action against NCAA Division I opponents.
PRIVATEERS WERE 4-7 IN PRE-SOUTHLAND PLAY
New Orleans rolled up non-conference victories against Pensacola Christian (94-57), Bradley (64-51), Williams Baptist (83-66) and Blue Mountain (94-61). The Privateers lost in overtime at Massachusetts 103-95.
NEW ORLEANS SCOUTING REPORT
Led by three players who are scoring in double figures, the Privateers are averaging 73.3 points per game as a team. Junior guard Christavious Gill leads the squad with 15.1 points while junior forward Erik Thomas and guard Nate Frye own scoring means of 10.6 and 10.4, respectively. Thomas leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per game.
THREE 2015 RESERVES NOW IN STARTING ROLES
Aurimas Majauskas, a 6-8 junior post player who was the back-up to Southland “Defensive Player of the Year” Michael Holyfield last season; Dakarai Henderson, a 6-2 junior guard who was the first player off the bench in 2015 and Jamal Williams, a 6-4 sophomore guard who also was a key reserve, all have stepped into starting roles this season. Majauskas and Williams has started every game and Henderson has started all but one contest.
The trio has accounted for 36.6 of Sam Houston's 75.2 points per game this season. Majauskas leads the team with 14.3 points and Henderson adds 13.5 per game. The pair have each posted eight double-figure games. Williams has taken over as the Kats' point guard. He averages 9.2 points and leads the team with 60 assists.
HOT-SHOOTING FRESHMAN GUARD
Red-shirt freshman Josh Delaney has come off the bench to score 48 points and knock down 13 three-point baskets in the Bearkats' last three games. Delaney scored 12 points at North Texas, 19 at Incarnate Word and 16 at Northwestern State.
HEAD COACH JASON HOOTEN SAYS
“Starting off Southland Conference play with two big wins was big,” Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten said. “One thing you can say about this group is they prepare well and play hard. It's great to be back home. We've played six straight on the road since December 14. It's made us stronger. That long trip to Brooklyn and on to El Paso was tough, but that's when we really started to see this young team begin to grow.
“New Orleans is going to present us with a lot of challenges. Every Southland Conference game is a battle and this one will be no different. We're going to have continue to play with a lot of intensity.”
SEVEN NEWCOMERS NOW ARE BEARKATS
Six new players (one freshman and five transfers) join the team this season. The newcomers include junior college transfers 6-1 Jalin Barnes (Barton County), 6-5 Torry Butler (Three Rivers Community College), 6-8 Andre Sands (Casper College) and 6-0 Jovante' Spivey (South Georgia State). Marc Fortin, a 6-9 freshman from Quebec City, Quebec, also joins the squad.
FOUR WINS ON THE ROAD THIS SEASON
Sam's victories at UIW Saturday and Northwestern State Monday mark the team's third and fourth wins away from home this season. A 16-0 run two-thirds of the way through the second half and 8-of-9 shooting at the line in the final 45 seconds led to a 75-69 road victory over LIU-Brooklyn December 18 in New York. With only a two-point lead midway through the second half, the Kats went on a 24-1 run to close down the Wildcats and earn a 71-46 win over Bethune-Cookman at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic November 27.
SOUTHLAND SCHEDULE SATURDAY
New Orleans (5-7, 1-0) at Sam Houston (7-8, 2-0) - 4:30 p.m.
A&M-Corpus Christi (10-3, 1-0) at McNeese St. (2-10, 0-2) - 3 p.m.
Abilene Christian (6-8, 1-0) at Nicholls (4-11, 0-1) - 3:30 p.m.
Lamar (9-5, 1-1) at Central Arkansas (1-11, 0-2) - 4 pm.
Northwestern St. (3-9, 0-2) at Incarnate Word (5-7, 0-1) - 4:30 p.m.
Southeastern Louisiana (2-12, 0-1) at Houston Baptist (7-7, 2-0) - 7 p.m.
