Sam Houston Bearkats Narrowly Miss Victory Against Florida International Panthers at Bernard Johnson Coliseum
The Sam Houston Bearkats faced a challenging opponent in the Florida International Panthers, concluding with a score of 71-65. The Bearkats' season record now stands at an even split, while the Panthers have added another victory to their tally.
In a game marked by intense competition and high stakes, the Sam Houston Bearkats displayed commendable effort against the visiting Florida International Panthers. Despite trailing in the first half with scores of 16 and 13 in the initial quarters compared to the Panthers' more robust starts of 21 and 20 points, the Bearkats showed resilience.
The third quarter saw a surge from Sam Houston as they outscored their opponents by putting up an impressive 19 points against just seven from Florida International. This comeback was fueled by their exceptional free throw accuracy which peaked at an impressive eighty-two percent for the game. The team's ability to draw fouls and capitalize on those opportunities kept them within striking distance throughout.
However, it was not enough to overcome their shooting struggles from beyond the arc where they made only two out of twenty-one attempts—a mere ten percent success rate. In contrast, despite lower overall field goal accuracy, Florida International managed twenty-two percent from three-point range.
Defensively both teams were evenly matched with each recording four steals and two blocks. However, personal fouls proved more costly for Sam Houston who committed twenty-four in comparison to Florida International's twenty-two.
On offense, both teams had similar assists turnover ratios with Sam Houston slightly behind at zero point sixty-nine versus zero point seventy-eight for Florida International. Rebounding also played a key role; while Sam Houston collected thirty-five rebounds including eleven offensive boards that led to thirteen second-chance points, it was not enough against Florida International's forty rebounds which contributed significantly to their twelve second-chance points.
Despite these efforts and maintaining nineteen points off turnovers like their opponents', ultimately it was not sufficient for victory on this occasion as they fell short by six points when time expired.
Looking ahead after this hard-fought battle at Bernard Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville Texas USA zip code 77340—the home crowd will once again have an opportunity to support their team when they face Jacksonville State Gamecocks on February eighth scheduled for six-thirty PM Central Time. Fans can catch all upcoming action live as it unfolds right there at Bernard Johnson Coliseum or tune into broadcasts available through local sports networks.