Who’s Playing
Sam Houston Bearkats @ Jax. State Gamecocks
Current Records: Sam Houston 8-10, Jax. State 10-7
How To Watch
What to Know
We’ve got another exciting Conference USA matchup on schedule as the Jax. State Gamecocks and the Sam Houston Bearkats are set to tip at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The timing is sure in the Gamecocks’ favor as the team sits on six straight wins at home while the Bearkats have been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road.
Jax. State is headed into the match having just posted their closest victory since February 24, 2024 on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past La. Tech 63-61. The 63-point effort marked the Gamecocks’ lowest-scoring contest of the season, but in the end it didn’t matter.
Jax. State relied on the efforts of Jaron Pierre Jr., who posted 14 points plus seven assists and seven rebounds, and Marcellus Brigham Jr., who earned 14 points. The dominant performance also gave Pierre Jr. a new career-high in offensive rebounds (three).
Meanwhile, Sam Houston fought the good fight in their overtime game against Kennesaw State on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 75-69 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Owls.
Sam Houston’s loss came about despite a quality game from Lamar Wilkerson, who had 29 points plus six rebounds. That was a full 42% of Sam Houston’s points, marking the third time in a row he’s had more than a third of the team’s points. Cameron Huefner was another key player, earning 15 points in addition to five rebounds.
Jax. State’s victory bumped their record up to 10-7. As for Sam Houston, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Jax. State has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 40.7 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Sam Houston struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 36.3. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we’ll see if one team can grab an edge.
Jax. State came up short against Sam Houston when the teams last played back in March of 2024, falling 81-73. Will Jax. State have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Series History
Jax. State and Sam Houston both have 1 win in their last 2 games.
- Mar 09, 2024 – Sam Houston 81 vs. Jax. State 73
- Feb 08, 2024 – Jax. State 79 vs. Sam Houston 68
