Sam Houston State Earns Dramatic Win over Southeastern Louisiana
By Brandon C. Williams
Southland.org
KATY, Texas - Top-seed Sam Houston State and fourth-seed Southeastern Louisiana played in a high-stakes game that defined March Madness. In the end, it was the Bearkats who delivered with everything on the line.
Josten Crow's layup with 12 seconds left gave Sam Houston a wild 88-85 win over Southeastern Louisiana, capping off a dramatic rally from what seemed like another heartbreaking end for the Bearkats (24-7), who will now face defending tournament champion Stephen F. Austin on Saturday for an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
"This was March basketball for sure," said Sam Houston coach Bob Marlin.
Having squandered an 83-78 lead with 3:06 remaining, the Lions (19-12) tied the game when Patrick Sullivan connected on hook shot with 45 seconds left. The Bearkats then let the clock run down, setting up Crow for a driving layup through the Southeastern Louisiana defense to give Sam Houston the lead for good.
Following a Lions turnover on the ensuing possession, Lance Pevehouse knocked down the first of two free throws to give the Bearkats a three-point lead with four seconds remaining. Pevehouse missed his second attempt, but Brandon Fortenberry's desperation heave fell short at the horn.
The free throw capped off a remarkable night for Pevehouse, who came off the bench to 14 points while adding four rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes of high-pressure work.
"My goal every night is to come off the bench and give my team a spark," said Pevehouse. "Today was just my day."
Pevehouse buried a 3-pointer with 1:11 left that gave the Bearkats an 85-83 lead, marking the second straight game in which he produced a much-needed basket at a critical time. He helped seal Sam Houston's win over Nicholls in the quarterfinal round with a tip-in during the final minute.
In an atmosphere that seemed more like a championship game, neither team refused to let the other pull too far away. The lead changed hands 17 times, with neither the Bearkats nor Lions holding more than the 31-25 lead Sam Houston managed at the 6:45 mark of the first half.
The loss offset a stirring display of pressure shooting by the Lions, who hit their last 24 free throw attempts en route to finishing 25 of 28 on the line.
"I think it was from the focus we had coming into this game," said Southeastern Louisiana coach Jim Yarborough.
The Lions' focus appeared to be on the verge of a payoff to the title game when Jason Marks hit a pair of free throws to give them an 83-78 advantage at the 3:06 mark. But a series of miscues -- along with Sam Houston's shooting -- collaborated to leave Southeastern Louisiana short of its goal.
"I knew Sam Houston would come out and fight," said Sullivan, who had 14 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. The second-team All-Southland center leaves the Lions as the conference's all-time leader in blocks.
"We were just one stop, one turnover, one basket away from controlling the game down the stretch," Yarborough. "We were just one play away, but we'll never know."
Gary Dixon's 16 points off the bench led Southeastern Louisiana, while Deshawn Patterson added 15 points and David Ndoumba and Marks each had 11.
Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell led Sam Houston State with 18 points each. Gilberto Clavell had 16, while Preston Brown finished with 12.
The win gives the Bearkats a second chance at Stephen F. Austin, which opened the conference season with a 65-57 win in Huntsville on Jan. 9.
"We're not exactly pleased with the way we played the first time we faced them," said Marlin.