Game 3 Preview: MBB hosts Pepperdine

Game 3 • vs Pepperdine

Huntsville, Texas • Johnson Coliseum

Pepperdine (2-1) vs Sam Houston (1-1)

Wednesday, Nov. 11 • 6:30 PM CST

TV: ESPN+

HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @Bearkats_MBB

Series vs the Waves: First meeting

HUNTSVILLE - Sam Houston will host Pepperdine on Wednesday evening in the first-ever matchup between the two programs at Johnson Coliseum.

The Bearkats (1-1) are coming off their first home game and win of the season, a 102-59 victory over Howard Payne on Nov. 7, after opening the season with a loss at No. 20 Alabama. The Wave (2-1) lost their season opener at Cornell but rebounded with a pair of wins over La Sierra and Bethesda.

Jacobe Coleman leads Sam Houston in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game, just ahead of newcomer Aidan McDowell who is chipping in second at 14.0 per night. Matt Dann made his season debut against Howard Payne and posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards.

Freshman Mahliq Guiseppi-Kitson has been key to the Kats being dominate on the glass this season as he is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game. Coleman and McDowell are tied for the second at 4.5 as Sam Houston is averaging 55.5 rebounds through two contests.

HOW KATS HAVE FAIRED IN D1 HOME OPENERS UNDER HEAD COACH CHRIS MUDGE
Since he became head coach in 2023-24, Sam Houston is 3-2 in home openers at Johnson Coliseum against fellow D1 programs. The Bearkats beat Lamar 90-70 and ULM 63-62 in his first season and knocked off Wyoming 78-70 last season. The two losses were also in 2023-24 against Utah Valley 79-73 in OT and 73-60 to Texas State.

LAST TIME OUT
Sam Houston earned its first win of the season with a dominant 102-59 victory over Howard Payne in its home opener at Johnson Coliseum. The Bearkats used a 24-5 run in the first half to build a 53-23 halftime lead and led by as many as 49 in the second half.

Aidan McDowell led four Bearkats in double figures with 18 points, while Matt Dann recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Jacobe Coleman added 13 points, and Mahliq Guiseppi-Kitson chipped in 12. Sam Houston shot 53 percent from the field and dominated the glass, outrebounding Howard Payne 66-31 while holding the Yellow Jackets to 28 percent shooting.

KATS OPEN SEASON WITH LOSS AT NO. 20 ALABAMA
Sam Houston opened the 2026-27 season with a 96-74 loss at No. 20 Alabama on Nov. 3 at Coleman Coliseum. The Bearkats trailed 40-29 at halftime before the Crimson Tide opened the second half with a 16-2 run to pull away. Jacobe Coleman led Sam Houston with 16 points, including four 3-pointers, while Justin Begg added 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. Zion Pipkin chipped in 11 points, and Enel St. Bernard grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. The Bearkats shot 45 percent in the second half after connecting on just 30 percent of their attempts before the break. Sam Houston did shot a blazing 45.5 percent from long range by hitting 15 of 33 3-point attempts. The Kats also won the rebound battle 45-43.

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Players Mentioned

Justin Begg

Jacobe Coleman

Matt Dann

Aidan McDowell

Zion Pipkin

Enel St. Bernard

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