Jan. 21, 2006

Box Score

SAN MARCOS - Chris Jordan scored 20 points to lead Sam Houston State past the Texas State 80-70 Saturday at Strahan Coliseum.

Shamir McDaniel and Ryan Griffin also scored in double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively as Sam Houston State (12-5, 3-2 Southland Conference) notched their third straight victory.

Texas State's Charles Dotson led all scorers with 23 points in the game, but it was not enough to keep the Bobcats (2-13, 0-4 SLC) out of the loss column. Jushay Rockett added 11 points for the Bobcats on 5-for-5 shooting from the field, and teammate Antwoine Blanchard added 10 points.

Texas State jumped out to an early 8-2 lead on a jumper in the lane from Trevor Cook with 17:03 left to play in the first half, but a 6-0 run by the Bearkats tied the game at 15:16.

The Bobcats immediately regained the lead on a three-pointer by Rockett, and would then stretch the lead to four on a three-point shot by Brandon Bush at 13:37.

The teams mirrored each other in the three-point shooting department. Both Sam Houston (7-of-14) and Texas State (4-of-8) shot 50 percent from outside the arc in the first half, and only sank one long ball apiece in the second half.

Texas State would extend the lead to four points again at 9:43 when Dotson sank a pair of free throws, but the Bearkats reclaimed the lead at 24-23 on a pair of free throws from Jejuan Plair.

The free throws by Plair were part of a 9-0 run that gave the Bearkats their first lead since the game's opening basket. It was a lead they would not relinquish.

The Bearkats lead reached as many as nine when a three-pointer from Ryan Griffin gave Sam Houston a 34-25 lead.

Texas State trailed 41-36 going into halftime.

Sam Houston State picked up right where it left off when the second half began, using an 11-2 run to take 52-38 lead with 17:07 remaining.

The Bobcats responded with a 16-5 run over the next 6:29 of the second half. Dotson scored six points and Rockett scored four during the Bobcat run which pulled them to within three points at 57-54 with 10:38 remaining in the game.

A three-pointer by McDaniel in front of the Bearkat bench helped Sam Houston regain a six-point lead at 60-54.

After the teams exchanged baskets, the Bobcats got within two points of Sam Houston on a pair of baskets by Dotson, the second coming at 6:45 to make the score 62-60.

After a Griffin layup made the score 64-60, the Bobcats again came within two on a pair of free throws by Lance Burroughs.

Burroughs and Brandon Bush each had eight points for the Bobcats.

The Bobcat faithful in the crowd of more than 2,500 were sensing a comeback, but Sam Houston snuffed out the rally with a pair of layups from Plair and Chris Jordan to stretch the lead to 68-62 with 4:27 remaining.

The Bearkat lead reached 10 points as Griffin sank a layup with 2:08 remaining. The Bobcats would not come within six points the rest of the game.

Texas State will travel to the northern part of the Louisiana for their next two games. The Bobcats visit Louisiana-Monroe Thursday and then head to Natchitoches to face Northwestern State on Saturday.

Their next home game is February 2, when the Lions of Southeastern Louisiana pay a visit to Strahan Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.