National Basketball Association
Stephen F. Austin 83, Sam Houston St. 70
When: 9:30 PM ET, Saturday, March 14, 2015
Where: Leonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, Texas
Officials:
# James Durham, # Keith Kimble, # Brent Meaux
Attendance:
5016
By SportsDirect Inc.
Stephen F. Austin 83, Sam Houston State 70: Thomas Walkup had a game-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting as the Lumberjacks captured their second consecutive Southland Conference title in Katy, Texas.
Jared Johnson scored 17 points off the bench, Dallas Cameron had 14 and Jacob Parker added 11 for top-seeded Stephen F. Austin (29-4), which will make its third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and second straight. The Lumberjacks may have to play the tournament without senior forward Bobby King, who was helped off the court during the first half with a serious left knee injury he sustained on an awkward landing.
Michael Holyfield led second-seeded Sam Houston State (25-8) with 18 points to go with 12 rebounds and four blocks while Kaheem Ransom chipped in 16 points despite feeling the effects of a previously injured ankle. The Bearkats shot 36.1 percent from the field and were 3-of-20 from 3-point range.
The Lumberjacks were in perfect sync during a 13-2 run to end the first half, right down to the final play that made it a 37-27 advantage at intermission. Walkup inbounded the ball to Parker with 2.9 seconds remaining, Parker hit Tanner Clayton with a quick pass and Clayton banked in a 35-footer as time expired.
Stephen F. Austin expanded its lead to 16 in the second half behind Walkup's hot shooting, and the Bearkats struggled to close the distance despite Holyfield's offensive surge down low - he scored 16 points in the second half. Walkup put the exclamation point on the win with an emphatic dunk on a breakaway and added two free throws inside of a minute left to push the game out of reach for Sam Houston State, which has lost 11 straight in the all-time series.
Top Game Performances
| Sam Houston St. |
|
Stephen F. Austin |
|
Michael Holyfield 18 |
Scoring |
Thomas Walkup 24 |
|
Paul Baxter 3 |
Assists |
Thomas Walkup 5 |
|
Michael Holyfield 12 |
Rebounds |
Thomas Walkup 8 |
|
Michael Holyfield 6 |
Free Throws Made |
Dallas Cameron 6 |
|
Paul Baxter 2 |
Steals |
Dallas Cameron 2 |
|
Michael Holyfield 4 |
Blocks |
Bobby King 2 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Sam Houston St.
|
70 |
36.1 |
3-20 |
23-30 |
13 |
36 |
5 |
6 |
13 |
| Stephen F. Austin
|
83 |
48.1 |
8-23 |
23-29 |
15 |
31 |
5 |
4 |
12 |
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