Lamar up next for red-hot Kats
1/19/2018 12:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game 20
Saturday, Jan. 20 • Beaumont, Texas • 4:30 p.m. CT • Montagne Center (10,080)
Sam Houston State (11-8, 5-1 Southland) at Lamar (11-8, 3-3 Southland)
Live Stats • ESPN3 • @BearkatsMBB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE – Nearly halfway through the Southland Conference season only four teams are left with just one loss on their record, and the Sam Houston State Bearkats are one of those teams.
The Kats ran their win streak to 5-1 in SLC play with their fifth straight victory on Wednesday against Northwestern State, but the schedule begins to shift this weekend when coach Jason Hooten's squad heads to Beaumont to take on Lamar on Saturday at the Montagne Center.
The game can be watched online at ESPN3 or on the WatchESPN app. Live stats are available at GoBearkats.com and fans can also get updates as they happen by following @BearkatsMBB on Twitter.
Sam Houston is joined by Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern Louisiana as teams with a 5-1 record in league play, just a half game back of first-place Nicholls who holds a 6-1 mark. The Cardinals sit two games back of the Kats with a 3-3 record after snapping a three-game losing streak on Wednesday in a 90-69 win at UIW.
The Kats are averaging 79.5 points per game in six league contests to date and are still maintaining one of the league's top defensive units, ranking second in points allowed (65.8 ppg). Marcus Harris has been a big cog in Sam Houston's five-game win streak, averaging 17.8 points per game in that span while Christopher Galbreath Jr. goes into Saturday ranking in the league's top 10 for the season in both scoring and rebounding while also having totaled a league-best eight double-doubles.
Lamar had dropped three in a row before Wednesday's win at UIW, they're first ever win on UIW's home floor. Colton Weisbrod turned in 26 points and nine boards in that game and currently ranks sixth in the league in scoring (16.5 ppg) and tied with Galbreath for second in rebounding (8.8 rpg). As a team the Cardinals are averaging 76.6 points per game for the year while allowing less than 70 per outing, both marks that are among the best in the SLC.
SERIES vs LAMAR
Lamar snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Bearkats last season with an overtime win in the season's second meeting between the teams. Prior to that, the Kats had not lost to the Cardinals since the 2008-09 season and had not fallen in Beaumont since 2007-08. Since 2002-03, Sam Houston holds a 21-5 advantage against Lamar, surging the Kats to a 35-31 edge in the all-time series.
