HUNTSVILLE –The Sam Houston men's and women's basketball team made additions to their 2020-21 schedules as Johnson Coliseum will now host a doubleheader on Sunday, December 6.
The twinbill will kick off at 2:00 p.m. with the Bearkat women's basketball team hosting New Mexico, followed by the Bearkat men's team hosting Howard Payne no earlier than 5:00 p.m.
Per Southland Conference and NCAA guidelines, there will be an hour between the conclusion of the women's game and the beginning of the men's game for cleaning/disinfecting purposes in addition to warmups.
Tickets are immediately available and can be secured by visiting GoBearkats.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at 936-294-1729.
No walk-up ticket sales are offered this season and fans are encouraged to not only secure their tickets in advance, in addition to being aware of and adhere to all university and Coliseum COVID-19 protocols currently in place.
Facial coverings are required for all in attendance in addition to adhering to social distancing guidelines and seat assignments.
The women's game helps bridge the gap for the Kats between two games in the season's opening week and its game on December 9 at Alabama. Originally, Sam Houston had road games set at Tulsa and UTEP, but in today's COVID-19 athletic environment, both games were called off.
Meanwhile, the men's matchup with Howard Payne replaces a game originally scheduled for Tuesday, December 1 against Arlington Baptist that was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns within the Arlington Baptist program.
The women's game will serve as just the second meeting between the Lobos and Bearkats with the only other game coming early in the 2006-07 season when UNM handed Sam Houston a 77-41 defeat in Albuquerque.
The contest will also serve as the season opener for the Lobos, who have been forced to temporarily relocate to the Amarillo area due to restrictions from the State of New Mexico in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
UNM is coming off a 2019-20 season in which it finished 15-17 overall. The Lobos were picked sixth in the Mountain West Conference's preseason poll and will feature the MWC's Preseason Player of the Year, LaTascya Duff.
On the men's side, they will renew an old rivalry with the Yellow Jackets, one which the Kats lead 32-31 in the all-time series; however, the teams have met just three times since SHSU transitioned to Division I, all Sam Houston wins that have come since 2011.
