Key game vs UNO next for Kats
2/20/2018 7:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game 29
Wednesday, Feb. 21 • Huntsville, Texas • 6:30 p.m. CT • Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum (6,100)
Sam Houston State (17-11, 11-4 Southland) vs New Orleans (14-12, 11-4 Southland)
Live Stats • ESPN3 • @BearkatsMBB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston State Bearkats can take a big step forward in the battle for a bye at the Southland Conference Tournament in March on Wednesday when they host New Orleans at Johnson Coliseum.
The game pits a pair of teams tied for fourth place in the SLC with two weeks worth of games remaining. The top four seeded teams in the tournament will receive a first-round bye, while the top two seeds will get a second bye into the semifinals. Both Sam Houston and UNO sit 1.5 games back of first-place Nicholls with three games left for each team.
Wednesday's game can be watched on ESPN3 with Matt Pedersen and former Bearkat Paul Baxter on the call. Live stats will also be available via Statbroadcast and fans can get updates as they happen by following @BearaktsMBB on Twitter.
The Kats kept their hopes for a bye alive on Saturday as they went on the road and withstood a young, but energized Houston Baptist squad in Sharp Gym. Christopher Galbreath Jr. turned in a career night, putting up 33 points and pulling in 14 boards, the most points scored by a Bearkat since former SLC Player of the year Gilberto Clavell had 34 at Auburn early in the 2009-10 season.
Marcus Harris only finished with nine points, but that included two clutch threes on back-to-back possessions in the game's final two minutes to stretch out what was otherwise a nip-and-tuck contest. He is the only other Bearkat averaging double figures this season, putting up 10.3 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Privateers are looking to secure a top-four seed of their own when they return to Katy to defend their SLC Tournament title. The reigning SLC regular season and tournament champions, UNO has won two of its last three games after holding serve on its home court on Saturday with a 90-74 win over McNeese.
Senior forward Travin Thibodeaux is the lone UNO player to average double figures this year with his 16.3 ppg mark. He will enter Wednesday's game needing just 16 points to reach 1,000 for his career while also leading the team with 5.8 rebounds per game.
SERIES vs NEW ORLEANS
The Kats lead the all-time series with UNO by a 7-2 margin. The teams split a pair of games in 2016-17 with Sam handing the Privateers their first league lost a year ago in the Big Easy before UNO returned the favor with a 12-point win in the SLC Tournament semifinals. Sam Houston had won seven games in a row over the Privateers before that loss in Katy a year ago.
