Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Despite a strong defensive effort by Sam Houston State, Toledo remained undefeated rallying for a 77-61 victory over the Bearkats in a non-conference men’s basketball game on the Rockets’ home floor Saturday afternoon.

Now 9-0 for the year, Toledo came into the contest ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division I men’s basketball scoring with a team average of 90.5 points per game.

Sam Houston, now 7-4 for the season, limited the Rockets to 28 first half points and held a 36-30 lead two minutes into the second half.

But Toledo got its scoring touch back, going on a 23-7 run over the next nine minutes to build a 10-point lead, 53-43, with 8:22 to play.

The Rockets out-scored Sam Houston 49-31 in the second period.

Paul Baxter and Jabari Peters led Sam Houston with nine points each.

James Thomas scored eight points and Michael Holyfield and Kaheem Ransom each added six points.

Holyfield led the Kats with eight rebounds and Thomas and Ransom pulled down seven boards.

Justin Drummond led Toledo with 18 points.

Sam Houston took an early seven point lead, 19-12 after a three-point basket by Dakarai Henderson with 12:29 to go in the first half.

Toledo battled back to take a 24-23 lead at the 5:41 mark.

Sam Houston went into the locker room with a 30-28 lead at intermission after two free throws by Peters with four seconds left in the period.

Sam Houston breaks for the Chrismas holidays.

The Bearkats’ next action is a home game with LIU-Brooklyn on Saturday, December 28 at 4 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Sam Houston stands No. 10 in the National Ten Pins Coaches Association December rankings for NCAA Division I women’s bowling.

The newly released rankings reflect play in tournament competition across the nation during the fall semester.

The Bearkat women compiled a record of 44-21 during the fall, competing in five tournaments.

Sam Houston won the Hornet Invitational in Montgomery, Ala. and were the runner-up at the Tulane Classic in the fall schedule’s opening event.

The Bearkats also finished fifth at the Nebraska Big Red Classic and seventh in both the New Jersey Jamboree and the Valparaiso Classics.

Sam Houston posted 15 victories in their 34 matches against teams ranked in the preseason NTCA top 20 including wins over Arkansas State and Central Missouri, the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively in the December poll.

“The fall half of the schedule was a learning curve for our talented young roster,” SHSU head coach Brad Hagen said. “We have a lot to build on in the spring.”

Arkansas State garnered the top spot in the rankings with a 31-11 record. Maryland-Eastern Shore, Central Missouri, Fairleigh Dickinson and Stephen F. Austin round out the top five.

Nebraska, Wisconsin-Whitewater, Vanderbilt, Kutztown and Sam Houston are ranked sixth through tenth, respectively.

Since debuting in the NTCA national rankings on December 18, 2010, during the program’s inaugural season, Sam Houston’s women’s bowlers have been ranked among the nation’s top 10 in every poll.

The Bearkats earned berths in the NCAA Elite Eight in both 2011 and 2013.

Twice the Kat bowlers have been ranked as high as No. 5