The Sam Houston men’s basketball team won its first game in the Conference USA tournament on Wednesday night, defeating the New Mexico State Aggies 69-61.
SHSU led 37-26 at halftime. The Aggies made a push for a comeback in the second half, holding the Bearkats to zero field goals made for over five minutes. Despite that, SHSU was able to hold on and get the win.
“This game looked like the definition of what makes these men great,” Sam Houston head coach Chris Mudge said after the win. “It was a game of toughness. It was a game of discipline. It was a game of making winning plays, even when things weren’t going great, and that’s what’s made this team great all year. We did it against a really good team today, and that’s what you have to do in March.”
Kashie Natt scored a team-high of 17 points for the Bearkats to go along with 16 rebounds. Jacobe Coleman added 15 points, while Vejko Ilic finished with 13 points.
Jemel Jones led the Aggies with 19 points. The Bearkats shot 33%, while the Aggies shot 37%.
“We didn’t score it great in the second half, but this team is so versatile, and having tough dogs like [Coleman and Kashie Natt] and the other guys in the locker room have made it so that we’ve gotten through a lot of adversity,” Mudge added. “You’ve got guys go down, we have other guys step up. You got guys that may not have their best game, other guys step up, and we get them back in. We support each other and stay connected. So, obviously, it was a great win, for us, and survive in advance. We get to play the next one.”
The Bearkats will play the winner of Western Kentucky and Kennesaw State in the semifinals on Friday at 2 p.m. CBS will carry the broadcast.
SHSU women fall to Liberty in CUSA quarterfinals
The Sam Houston women’s basketball team lost to Liberty 89-57 on Thursday in the CUSA quarterfinals, marking the end of an impressive season for the Bearkats.
Whitney Dunn led SHSU in scoring with 20 points and six rebounds, while Nyla Inmon added 11 points and four boards. Fanta Kone had a game-high eight assists to go along with three points and three rebounds.
The Bearkats finished the season with 18 wins, their most since the 2019-20 campaign. SHSU’s 11-7 record in CUSA play was also its best since joining the league in 2023.
