Can the Bearkats' Home Court Advantage Seal Another Victory?
The Sam Houston State Bearkats emerged victorious with a 66-56 score over the New Mexico State Aggies. The Bearkats now stand with an impressive record, while the Aggies are left to reflect on their performance.
In a game that saw both teams battle fiercely, it was the home team's consistency across all quarters that ultimately secured their win. The Sam Houston State Bearkats showcased a balanced attack in front of an energetic crowd at Bernard Johnson Coliseum. Despite being outscored in the first quarter 14-16, they bounced back to take control of the game by halftime and maintained their lead through to the final buzzer.
The Bearkats' shooting accuracy from beyond the arc was remarkable, hitting 50 percent of their three-point attempts. This sharpshooting contributed significantly to their total score and helped them maintain distance from their opponents throughout the contest. On defense, they matched New Mexico State with one block each but had fewer steals at seven compared to eight by New Mexico State.
Sam Houston's rebounding was particularly dominant; they outrebounded New Mexico State by a significant margin with 45 rebounds against 34 for their opponents. This included grabbing more offensive rebounds (11) which led to crucial second-chance points totaling 14 for Sam Houston compared to just four for New Mexico State.
Free throws were another area where Sam Houston excelled; despite shooting only 63 percent from the line, they made it there more often than New Mexico State and capitalized by making 19 free throws. In contrast, although New Mexico State shot an excellent 86 percent from free throw line, opportunities were limited as they only took 14 shots from there.
The Aggies did show resilience especially in third quarter where they scored nineteen points but struggled overall with field goal percentage at just thirty-four percent compared to forty percent for Sam Houston. Their efforts inside were strong though as evidenced by scoring thirty-four points in paint which is equal amount scored outside paint combined including three-pointers.
As fans look ahead, anticipation builds for what promises to be another exciting matchup when Sam Houston takes on UTEP Miners next Saturday at Bernard Johnson Coliseum located at Huntsville TX zip code:77340 scheduled for February twenty-fourth starting two o'clock PM Central Time Zone broadcasted live ensuring fans won't miss any action.