Sunday, January 4
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
1:00 PM
8-6,0-3CUSA
67
at
68
Middle Tennessee
9-5,3-0CUSA
1
2
F
Sam Houston
34
33
67
Middle Tenn.
34
34
68
Kats let one slip away at MTSU
1/4/2026 3:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Sam Houston overcame a 17-point deficit only to come up inches short in a 68-67 loss at Middle Tennessee State on Sunday afternoon.
The Bearkats had a chance to extend a one-point lead in the final seconds twice at the free throw line but could not get the front end of the one-and-ones to fall to drop to 8-6 on the season and 0-3 in CUSA play, with all three losses coming on the road.
Sam Houston could not buy a basket early as the Blue Raiders (9-5, 3-0) went up 25-8 early. The Kats finally put it together to tie the game at the break.
The two teams traded 3s to begin the second half. Sophomore Justin Begg hit a jumper from the free throw line to give Sam Houston its first lead at 39-37 since the first basket of the game.
It was a battle from there. The teams traded baskets until Middle Tennessee hit a 3 and got an and one to go up 50-45 with 11:59 left on the clock as the Bearkats missed some opportunities on the offensive end to increase its advantage.
Jacob Walker answered a 3-pointer by the Blue Raiders then was fouled on a driving layup to make it a one-possession game with under 10 minutes to go. Sam Houston got a block, and Veljko Ilic, who led the way with 16 points and 13 rebound, passed it ahead to Jacolby Coleman who made the layup and an ensuing free throw to tie it at 53.
MTSU went back up by five with under four and half minutes left. Coleman hit a 3, Walker added a three-point play and a layup by Ilic helped the Kats go up 61-60.
With the clock winding down, Walker was able to find Ilic under the basket to put the Kats up 67-66. The plays just didn't go their way down the stretch as MTSU was able to steal it with a basket in the final seconds.
Sam Houston struggled on offense from the start as Middle Tennessee built a 25-8 lead as the Kats went 0 for 6 from the field during a stretch that resulted in a 11-0 run for the Blue Raiders. Jaxson Ford finally ended the drought with back-to-back baskets.
Ilic followed with a short jumper as Sam Houston responded with a 6-0 run to cut it to an 11-point lead midway through the opening period. The Bearkats clamped down defensively and held MTSU, which shot only 32 percent in the half, without a field goal for the next few minutes as Damon Nicholas Jr., who added 11 points, and Ilic scored to make it 27-18 at the 7:28 mark.
Po'Boigh King, who added 14 points, finally got a 3 to fall for Sam Houston to pull the Kats within 32-25. Nicholas followed with a fastbreak layup and just like that the Blue Raiders' lead was down to five.
The Kats were far from done.
With 35 seconds left in the half, King lead a fastbreak and lobbed a pass to Nicholas for an easy basket. The defense stepped up again, and King buried a pullup 3 from the top right of the key to send the game into the half tied at 34 thanks to a 14-2 run over the final four minutes.
Sam Houston finally returns to Huntsville to host Delaware on Thursday in the CUSA home opener at Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats had a chance to extend a one-point lead in the final seconds twice at the free throw line but could not get the front end of the one-and-ones to fall to drop to 8-6 on the season and 0-3 in CUSA play, with all three losses coming on the road.
Sam Houston could not buy a basket early as the Blue Raiders (9-5, 3-0) went up 25-8 early. The Kats finally put it together to tie the game at the break.
The two teams traded 3s to begin the second half. Sophomore Justin Begg hit a jumper from the free throw line to give Sam Houston its first lead at 39-37 since the first basket of the game.
It was a battle from there. The teams traded baskets until Middle Tennessee hit a 3 and got an and one to go up 50-45 with 11:59 left on the clock as the Bearkats missed some opportunities on the offensive end to increase its advantage.
Jacob Walker answered a 3-pointer by the Blue Raiders then was fouled on a driving layup to make it a one-possession game with under 10 minutes to go. Sam Houston got a block, and Veljko Ilic, who led the way with 16 points and 13 rebound, passed it ahead to Jacolby Coleman who made the layup and an ensuing free throw to tie it at 53.
MTSU went back up by five with under four and half minutes left. Coleman hit a 3, Walker added a three-point play and a layup by Ilic helped the Kats go up 61-60.
With the clock winding down, Walker was able to find Ilic under the basket to put the Kats up 67-66. The plays just didn't go their way down the stretch as MTSU was able to steal it with a basket in the final seconds.
Sam Houston struggled on offense from the start as Middle Tennessee built a 25-8 lead as the Kats went 0 for 6 from the field during a stretch that resulted in a 11-0 run for the Blue Raiders. Jaxson Ford finally ended the drought with back-to-back baskets.
Ilic followed with a short jumper as Sam Houston responded with a 6-0 run to cut it to an 11-point lead midway through the opening period. The Bearkats clamped down defensively and held MTSU, which shot only 32 percent in the half, without a field goal for the next few minutes as Damon Nicholas Jr., who added 11 points, and Ilic scored to make it 27-18 at the 7:28 mark.
Po'Boigh King, who added 14 points, finally got a 3 to fall for Sam Houston to pull the Kats within 32-25. Nicholas followed with a fastbreak layup and just like that the Blue Raiders' lead was down to five.
The Kats were far from done.
With 35 seconds left in the half, King lead a fastbreak and lobbed a pass to Nicholas for an easy basket. The defense stepped up again, and King buried a pullup 3 from the top right of the key to send the game into the half tied at 34 thanks to a 14-2 run over the final four minutes.
Sam Houston finally returns to Huntsville to host Delaware on Thursday in the CUSA home opener at Johnson Coliseum.
Team Stats
SHSU
MTSU
FG%
.482
.387
3FG%
.455
.379
FT%
.667
.900
RB
40
31
TO
17
10
STL
7
11
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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