Is it a must-win situation for the Bearkats tonight against the Lions from Southeastern Louisiana?
Yes and no. No because they can afford another loss in conference and remain in that critical top four. But in reality, the answer is yes, and tonight’s game is a must-win situation.
The Bearkats enter the game at 15-6 and 6-3 in conference play.
With all the non-hype surrounding the Bearkats at the beginning of the season, (picked to finish fourth or worse in the SLC) it is easy to see why everyone is getting excited about this team. They are up there in the standings and barring a few shooting mishaps, they would be at the top.
With the new players coming in, and the big three exiting from last year, many coaches did not give this team a fighting chance. But, as Dylan once said, “The times, they are a-changin.”
“They come out like a veteran team,” ULM head coach Orlando Early said last week. “They are a good team.”
Coach Marlin has coached this team beautifully, taking advantage of each player’s strength and utilizing it to play team basketball.
His bench has stepped up and is clearly one of the better benches in the SLC.
Tonight could also become a milestone in Sam Houston athletics as Chris Jordan looks to add his name to the 1,000 point club. He is only 15 points away.
“We feed off of Chris’ [Jordan] play,” said Coach Marlin. “We talked about him being a senior leader, and he has really grasped that role. If he is playing well, it certainly makes things much easier.”
Once again, proving any critics wrong, this Bearkat team defeated Southeastern Louisiana in their house earlier this year, something last year’s team was not able to do. It marked the first victory there since the 2002-2003 season.
Southeastern Louisiana enters tonight with a 5-5, 11-10 record. They are led offensively by Ricky Woods and his 17.6 points per game.
Tonight’s game is at 7 p.m. at Johnson Coliseum.