Bearkats challenge Blue Raiders at Johnson Coliseum, aiming for first place in Conference USA standings
Press Release from GoBearkats.com
HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston puts its winning streak to the test as Middle Tennessee comes to Johnson Coliseum Saturday with seeding to the Conference USA Tournament still to be decided later this month.
The Bearkats (17-11) are fresh off a two-game road trip out west which saw them pick up wins at New Mexico State and UTEP. Sam Houston has now won four CUSA games in a row to sit a half a game out of first place in the standings at 10-3.
The Kats trail Louisiana Tech but could catch the Bulldogs with a win over the Blue Raiders. Louisiana Tech is 11-3, and a Sam Houston victory over Middle Tennessee Saturday would setup a showdown for first place in the league with the Bulldogs off this weekend.
Middle Tennessee has been playing some solid ball recently, having won four of its last five. The last time out, the Blue Raiders upset Western Kentucky 74-72 in Bowling Green.
This the second meeting between the two schools with Sam Houston having won the first 60-51 in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Jan. 13. The game was an old-fashion schoolyard brawl as both teams traded the lead in a close contest that came down to the final minutes.
The Blue Raiders led 45-44 with just under six minutes to go when Lamar Wilkerson, who scored a career-high 27 points, buried a 3-pointer to give Sam Houston the lead. Middle Tennessee tied it a 49 when the Bearkats, despite shooting 35 percent from the floor and 17 percent from 3, stepped on the gas to put it away.
Wilkerson drove the lane and laid a shot off the glass while being fouled with just under two and a half minutes left in the game. He converted the three-point play to push the lead back to three.
Marcus Boykin answered a Blue Raider basket with a layup and finished off a three-point play to make it 56-51 with 1:06 on the clock. Wilkerson drilled a pair of free throws, and Jaden Ray put the finishing touches on the victory with a fastbreak layup in the final seconds to seal it.
Souleymane Doumbia added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Kats. Damon Nicholas Jr. owned the glass with 13 rebounds, and Ray and Boykin each added six points.
Tip-off on Saturday is set for 7 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
NOTES FROM THE FIRST MEETING WITH MTSU
• Sam Houston, at the time, moved to 3-0 to start conference play for the first time since the 2020-21 season, the Bearkats’ last year in the Southland Conference.
• Lamar Wilkerson has scored 20 or more points in three straight games after the first meeting. He had 24 points in an 81-77 win over Louisiana Tech on Jan. 6 and 21 points in a 78-74 victory over WKU on Jan. 10.
• Damon Nicholas Jr. grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. His previous best was 11 against Missouri State earlier this season.
