Game 12 • vs Texas State • Friday, 6:30 p.m. • Johnson Coliseum • Tickets • Live Stream • Listen • Live Stats
HUNTSVILLE — Two old Southland Conference rivals will face off when Texas State comes to Johnson Coliseum on Friday to face Sam Houston.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. as the Bearkats (6-5) look to extend their winning streak against the Bobcats to five games dating back to last season. The last time the two teams met at Johnson Coliseum was a 71-68 victory for Sam Houston on Jan. 18, 2012 before Texas State left the SLC for the Sun Belt Conference the following season.
Last year's meeting resulted in a 69-62 Bearkat win at Strahan Arena in San Marcos almost exactly a year ago. Of the returning players for Sam Houston this season,
Cameron Huefner scored nine points,
Kian Scroggins six,
Jaden Ray five and
Lamar Wilkerson four in last year's contest.
The Kats are coming off a 63-62 victory over ULM on Tuesday at home as Jaden Ray knocked down a pair of free throws in the final seconds to lift Sam Houston. He also forced a turnover with four seconds left to ice it.
Ray scored a game-high 16 points and was 8 for 10 from the free throw line. Davon Barnes added 10 points, and Marcus Boykin chipped in nine in a matchup that was pretty even throughout the entire game with neither team being able to make the plays to pull away.
After shooting just 30 percent in the first half, ULM caught fire to begin the second. A 3-pointer put the Warhawks up 35-26 but the Kats weren't going to lay down. Ray and Boykin scored back-to-back baskets to trim the lead to five. Souleymayne Doumbia eventually tied it at 37 with a layup with just under 14 minutes to go in the game.
Sam Houston came back to take a 47-44 lead on a pair of free throws by Cameron Huefner and one by Boykin following a technical foul against the Warhawks. ULM fought to retake the lead by one at the 9:15 mark of the second half, and it was back and forth until the Warhawks went up 53-47 four minutes later.
Yet again the Bearkats came battling back. Barnes drilled a 3 and was fouled to convert a four-point play to pull within 53-51.
ULM was able to go back up 56-51 only to see Sam Houston rally once more.
Damon Nicholas Jr. pulled down an offensive board, laid one off the glass and was fouled to start the latest rally for the Bearkats. He connected on the free throw to cut the lead to 56-54 with under four minutes left in the game.
Again, it was back and forth until Ray was able to get to the line to win it for the Kats.
