Game 22 Preview: vs Missouri State

Game 22 • vs Missouri State
Huntsville • Johnson Coliseum (6,100)
Sam Houston (14-7, 7-3 CUSA) vs Missouri State (15-8, 7-3 CUSA)
Thursday, February 12 • 6:30 PM

TV: ESPN+ (Tom Franklin, Austyn Iven)
RADIO: BSN (Stephanie Keele)
HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @Bearkats_WBB
Series vs the Bears: First Meeting

HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston will have a chance to take sole possession of second place in the CUSA race on Thursday when the Bearkats host league newcomer Missouri State at Johnson Coliseum.

Tipoff for the game is set for 6:30 p.m. with Tom Franklin and Austyn Iven on the call courtside on ESPN+.

The game can also be heard online on the Bearkat Sports Network and the Bearkat Athletics app with Stephanie Keele moving behind the mic for the Kats for the 2025-26 season.

KATS LOOKING TO STAY NEAR TOP OF CUSA RACE
- Sam Houston earned their first-ever win in program history over UTEP on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Miners 70–58 at the Don Haskins Center.

- The Kats and Bears enter the week tied for second in CUSA at 7-3, 2.5 games back of league-leading LA Tech

- Sam Houston is holding its opponents to 13.5 3-point attempts per game this season, the third lowest in D-1. Sam Houston would be the first CUSA team to rank in the top five in fewest opponent 3-point attempts per game since DePaul in 1999-00 (fifth)

- Deborah Ogayemi scored 19 points in both the New Mexico State and UTEP games and is averaging 18.7 points over the last three CUSA contests

- Fanta Kone needs 9 more assists to reach 100 for the year and 22 more steals to get to 90. No Bearkat has had consecutive seasons of 100+ assists since Britni Martin (2011-12, 2012-13) and no Kat has had 90+ steals in consecutive seasons since LaKeita Richardson (1993-94, 1994-95)

- Sam Houston has held 4 opponents under 40 points in 2025-26 after entering the year only doing so 7 times in program history, the last time coming in 1988

- The Kats are averaging 14.4 steals per game, ranking seventh nationally and leading CUSA. That pace puts them on track to record the second-most steals in a single season in Bearkat history.

- Thursday's contest marks the inaugural meeting between the Bearkats and the Bears after the teams' original Jan. 24 matchup in Missouri was postponed to Feb. 24 due to a winter storm.

Game 22 Preview: vs Missouri State

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Players Mentioned

Fanta Kone

Deborah Ogayemi

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