Box Score Box Score
HAMMOND – New Orleans native Ashton Mitchell scored 24 points and Sam Houston State closed out the game with a 7-1 run as the Bearkats held off Southeastern Louisiana, 84-79, in a physical Southland Conference game Saturday at the University Center.
Gilberto Clavell added 18 points for SHSU (10-5, 2-0 Southland), the favorite in the West Division. Corey Allmond added 17 points and Preston Brown had 13 as the Bearkats opened the game with a 10-0 run and handed Southeastern (10-6, 2-1 Southland) its first loss at home in 12 games dating back to last season.
In a game that featured 15 ties and 20 lead changes, SHSU held the Lions without a field goal in the final 1:21.
Gary Dixon gave Southeastern a 78-77 lead on a layup before Clavell was fouled on the Bearkats' next possession.
Clavell made the first attempt and missed the second, but Brown grabbed the offensive rebound and dunked for an 80-78 lead with 58 seconds remaining.
Southeastern's
Damon Forest was fouled on the next possession and made one of two free throws to cut the lead to 80-79, but Mitchell and Allmond each made two free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
SHSU opened the game with a 10-0 run as Allmond connected on a 3-pointer and jumper, Clavell added a free throw and a basket and Mitchell sank a jumper. Southeastern missed its first four shots and had three turnovers before a 3-pointer by Dixon at the 15:26 mark put the Lions on the board.
That opened a 13-2 run for the Lions which got baskets from
Rodney Jones,
Patrick Sullivan and a four-point play by Dixon that put Southeastern ahead, 13-12, with 12:21 left.
A 3-pointer by Dixon, who led Southeastern with a season-high 24 points, gave the Lions their biggest lead of the game, 32-27, before two free throws by Clavell and a four-point play by Allmond gave SHSU a 33-32 advantage with 2:00 left in the first half.
The Bearkats pushed the lead to 37-32 on a steal and layup by Mitchell and led 38-35 at halftime.
Southeastern went 27-for-56 from the floor (48.2 percent), including 11-for-25 from behind the 3-point line. The Lions held SHSU to 25-for-65 (38.5 percent), but the Bearkats made 29 of 36 attempts at the free throw line. SHSU forced 18 turnovers, leading to 19 points, while committing seven turnovers in the game.
Forest added 16 points for Southeastern while Sullivan added 12 points and four blocked shots.
Trent Hutchin came off the bench to add 11 points for the Lions while
Jason Marks dished out a season-high nine assists.
Southeastern will return to action on Wednesday when it visits McNeese State in a 7 p.m. contest at Burton Coliseum.
SAM HOUSTON STATE (10-5, 2-0 SLC)
Mitchell 7-12 7-7 24; Clavell 5-12 8-10 18; Allmond 5-10 5-7 17; Brown 4-10 5-8 13; Pevehouse 2-5 2-2 6; Bootle 2-7 0-0 4; Crow 0-7 2-2 2; Thompson 0-0 0-0 0; Murray 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-65 29-36 84.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (10-6, 2-1 SLC)
Dixon 6-15 7-7 24; Forest 6-10 2-5 16; Sullivan 6-10 0-0 12; Hutchin 3-6 2-2 11; Jones 3-8 0-0 7; Tibbs 1-3 3-3 5; Marks 1-1 0-0 2; Burches 1-1 0-0 2; Ndoumba 0-0 0-0 0; Patterson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 14-17 79.
Halftime – SHSU 38, SLU 35. 3-point goals – SHSU 5-17 (Mitchell 3-4; Allmond 2-4; Brown 0-4; Pevehouse 0-2; Crow 0-1; Murray 0-2), SLU 11-25 (Dixon 5-11; Hutchin 3-6; Forest 2-4; Jones 1-3; Tibbs 0-1). Fouled out – Crow, Marks, Sullivan. Rebounds – SHSU 39 (Three with 7), SLU 33 (Marks 7). Assists – SHSU 7 (Mitchell 3), SLU 22 (Marks 9). Total fouls – SHSU 19, SLU 29. Technical fouls - None. A – 484.
