HUNTSVILLE —
The Bearkats are no longer a young, inexperienced team still learning to play with each other. Or at least for the players, that concept isn’t holding up anymore, especially since Sam Houston won its third game in the last four outings after a 76-59 rout over Central Arkansas on Wednesday night.
“That’s all out the window,” Bearkat point guard Aaron Harwell said. “We don’t even have no freshmen no more. Everybody is sophomores or a year up in their class so all that new team stuff is out the window.
“We’ve played together long enough.”
The Kats certainly played like a team with chemistry against Central Arkansas.
Sam Houston (5-7 in Southland Conference play, 11-15 overall) totaled 21 assists, nine of which came from Darius Gatson and three critical dishes from Harwell in the second half.
Central Arkansas hung in for a while and only trailed 34-29 at halftime. The Bears leaned on the scoring of Jarvis Garner (16 points) and Robert Crawford (12 points) and 19 bench points as well. Yet it still wasn’t nearly enough to keep the Bearkats at bay, as they shot 52 percent from the field while holding the Bears to just 32 percent shooting.
Four Kats scored in double figures — Marcus James (18), Steve Werner (17), Konner Tucker (14) and DeMarcus Gatlin (12). James recorded a game-high 11 rebounds and Werner added 10 as Sam Houston won the rebounding battle 49-32.
Central Arkansas’ Dewan Clayborn brought his team within two points with a 3-pointer five minutes into the second half. Then everything started clicking for the Kats. Sam Houston went on a 17-4 run and left the Bears (2-10, 7-17) in the dust.
“I was real happy with the way we finished the game,” Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten said. “We’ve had some games this year where we hadn’t really put the pedal to the medal at the end, but I thought tonight we did. We really did a great job of finishing. It was a great all-around effort by everybody.”
For a team known to not have much depth, an all-around effort is a promising sign for Sam Houston. Much of the recent success has to do with how much growing up the Kats have done in the past six weeks of this conference schedule. There have been growing pains, but the pain has resulted in conditioning for high-pressure moment, as Gatlin explained before Wednesday’s game.
“It’s almost like we’ve been in every situation,” the guard said Tuesday over the phone. “At the end of the game, we’ve had the lead and we’ve trailed. We’ve hit some big shots, and we’ve had big shots hit on us. So we have a little confidence now to put the game away, whether we’re trailing or whether we’re up.
“It’s just us growing up and being able to close out a game.”
Harwell, the team’s energy guy and best on-the-ball defender, also mentioned confidence when talking about the team morale.
“We’ve played big teams like Texas, Texas A&M and Notre Dame,” Harwell said. “It’s all about confidence. Our coach talks to us all the time about confidence and energy. Defense, you have to just want to play. It’s not even much of a skill, you just have to want to play.”
Playing in the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy next month is a goal the team set at the beginning of the season. The Kats played like it against Central Arkansas.
“We’re just hungry,” Harwell continued. “When we get to Katy, the records will be 0-0 for everybody. We have it in our heads and we’re just hungry.
“We want it.”
The Kats return to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. when they take on Toledo in the ESPN Bracketbusters.
Sports
Related Photos
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Bearkats junior post Steven Werner (14) gets up to the rim during the second half Wednesday night at Johnson Coliseum. Werner finished with a double-double (17 points and 10 rebounds) as Sam Houston took care of the Bears 76-59 in an important Southland Conference contest. With just four conference games remaining, the Bearkats are in sole possession of seventh place in the league. D.J. Shafer
Discussion
Sam Houston takes care of business against Central Arkansas
Bearkats strengthen position for spot in Southland tourney
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The thrill of victory ... the agony of defeat
The Bearkats knew exactly what they needed to get done and they were up to the task.
In order to reach championship day of the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament, the Kats would have to stave off elimination twice just to get to today’s final round.
The Bearkats nearly pulled it off. - Kats beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-3
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Alive and kicking: Bearkats still in hunt at SLC baseball tourney
With the possibility of going home early from the Southland Conference Tournament and a chance of their season coming to an abrupt end, the Bearkats needed some quality starting pitching and production from their bats in the worst way.
Like he has done all year long, Sam Houston senior Justin Jackson delivered a lights-out performance on the mound and the offense made the kind of impact the Bearkats have been looking for Thursday morning.
Both elements came together at the exact right time as the Kats stayed alive in the tourney with a 7-1 victory over McNeese State in an elimination game at Bobcat Ballpark. -
Bad day for Bearkats
The Bearkats’ road to the NCAA tournament just got a little bit tougher.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi broke out for four runs before top-seeded Sam Houston even stepped to the plate Wednesday afternoon, but the Kats couldn’t find a way to counter that first punch.
Sam Houston connected for eight hits, but could not get enough of those in a row to make a dent in the deficit and are now one loss away from being eliminated from the Southland Conference tournament following a 9-2 loss at the hands of the eighth-seeded Islanders on Wednesday afternoon at the Bobcat Baseball Ballpark. -
Schallenberg: Time is now for Bearkats in Southland tourney
The Bearkats look to take care of business this week in the Southland Conference baseball tournament.
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Alpha Omega Academy trio shine at state track meet
Freshman brings home four medals, including two golds
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Tough night for Kats against Rice
The Bearkats had a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression for a potential at-large bid in the NCAA tournament with fifth-ranked Rice coming to town. Sam Houston’s bats couldn’t get going early enough or be able to link enough hits together against the Owls pitching staff and succumbed to a 5-0 loss in the final game of the season at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday night.
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BEARKAT BASEBALL — Plenty up for grabs against fifth-ranked Rice
For several reasons, today’s game against fifth-ranked Rice is going to be a biggie for the Bearkats.
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SHSU MEN'S BASKETBALL — Kats sign ‘winner’ from Trinity Valley
Will Bond, a 6-3 guard from Trinity Valley Community College, has signed a letter-of-intent to attend Sam Houston State University and play men’s basketball for head coach Jason Hooten.
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