Bearkat Basketball Narrowly Lost To Razorbacks
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Fayetteville, Ark. – Sam Houston head coach has said all fall that the 2012-13 edition of the Bearkat men’s basketball team will be much better shooters.
The young Kat squad proved their coach right as they threw a scare into Arkansas, falling by only five points 73-68 Friday night in both team’s season opener.
Darius Gatson led Sam Houston with 20 points, hitting four of six three-point attempts.
James Thomas added 14 points and Demarcus Gatlin scored 10.
Coty Clark led the Hogs with 20 points. Twenty four of Arkansas’ points came at the free throw line.
“With a lineup that includes seven young guys who were playing their first NCAA Division I game against a team like Arkansas that presses for 40 minutes and an atmosphere like this one in Fayetteville, I was really happy with the way these guys refused to fold under pressure,” Hooten said.
“We’re just working on becoming a better team right now. We’d only worked on their press the last three days.”
Sam Houston started strong, jumping out to an 8-4 lead with a layup by Gatson at the 16:52 mark.
The Razorbacks roared back to tie the contest at 14-14.
James Thomas gave the Bearkats their last lead, 16-14, with a layup with 12:01 to play.
Arkansas went on a 12-2 run to build their largest lead of the first half, 29-18, with 6:40 remaining.
A trio of three-point baskets, the third by Nathaniel Mason, brought Sam Houston back within four 33-29 with 1:07 remaining before intermission.
The Hogs led 37-29 at halftime.
The Bearkats kept the contest close throughout the second period.
Gatson cut the lead to four 42-38 with 16:19 to play and a three-pointer by Marquel McKinney brought SHSU within three 46-43 at the 13:18 mark.
Jeremy McKay’s trey with 51 seconds to play made it a four-point game, but the Hogs held on for the victory.
Sam Houston State will play their 2012-13 home opener Tuesday at Johnson Coliseum against Hardin-Simmons.
Bearkats Loses First Game In NCAA Baseball Championships Houston Regional
by Cheval John
Houston, Texas- After striking for four runs in the top of the fifth inning to gain their first lead in the contest, it seemed as if the # 3 seeded Sam Houston State Bearkat baseball team was on their way to getting their first win in the NCAA Baseball Championships Houston Regional.
However, the # 2 seeded Arkansas Razorbacks had different ideas as they rebounded in the bottom of the seventh inning and scored three runs to regain the lead and eventually defeated the Kats by the score of 5-4.
Starting pitcher Caleb Smith threw 117 total pitches in 7 2/3 innings and held the Razorbacks at bay for most of the game.
But it wasn’t enough as Arkansas got key hits when it counted.
The trouble began in the bottom of the fourth inning when Matt Reynolds led off the inning with a double.
They added two more base runners on consecutive walks to Brian Anderson and Bo Bingham to load the bases.
A pair of sacrifice flies scored both Reynolds and Bingham to give the Razorbacks a 2-0.
It didn’t take long for the Bearkats to answer as they scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning to lead it by the score of 4-2.
Luke Plucheck drove in their first run on a bases-clearing ground out to cut the lead to 2-1.
Anthony Azar followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 2.
Then, Jake Arrington followed with a two-run triple to complete the four run rally.
For two innings, Smith kept the Razorbacks at bay as he retired six batters in a row.
Then the lead evaporated in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Razorbacks scored three runs on a two-run single by Tim Carver and an RBI ground out by Reynolds to take back the lead and win by the score of 5-4.
The Bearkats will try to avoid elimination tomorrow as they face Prarie View A&M Panthers at 1 p.m.
The Panthers lost a nail biter to regional host Rice in the nightcap by the score of 3-2.