Fausett, Jones Combine For 43 Points As Southern Utah Takes Down Sam Houston State

SALT LAKE CITY – Maizen Fausett and Tevian Jones combined to score 43 points to lead the Southern Utah men’s basketball team past the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

The Thunderbirds hosted the Bearkats at America First Events Center on Thursday, January 12.

SUU beat Sam Houston, 86-74.

Got the job done 💪#TBirdNation pic.twitter.com/wIlrynG4c1

— SUU Men's Basketball (@SUUBasketball) January 13, 2023

Fausett scored a game-high 22 points on 8-10 field goals and Jones added 21 points on 6-14 points.

After a close opening five minutes of action, the T-Birds took the lead and never looked back. The T-Birds went on to build a 16-point lead near the end of the half. Southern Utah scorched Sam Houston with 49 first half points and took a 14-point advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Following the break, the Bearkats battled back to make it a two-possession contest. However, the Thunderbirds managed to hold over the visiting squad and build their lead back to 12 points by the final buzzer. Sam Houston won the second half by a bucket but SUU used its double-digit first half lead to win its second straight game.

SUU finished the evening shooting 55.6 percent overall and 54.2 percent from beyond the arc. Sam Houston State shot 48.3 percent from the floor, including 52.9 percent on three-pointers.

Maizen Fausett is THAT GUY 😎#TBirdNation pic.twitter.com/F9pjhMqV0c

— SUU Men's Basketball (@SUUBasketball) January 13, 2023

Four Thunderbirds ended the contest in double figures in scoring. In addition to Fausett and Jones’ big games, Drake Allen added 12 points on 4-6 shooting, including 2-2 from downtown. Allen also dished out a game-high assists. Dee Barnes poured in 17 points of the bench.

Have yourself a NIGHT @DeeBarnes22 🤤

1️⃣7️⃣ points on 5-8 shooting ‼️#TBirdNation pic.twitter.com/0qCHFQfuXS

— SUU Men's Basketball (@SUUBasketball) January 13, 2023

Qua Grant led the Bearkats with 17 points, two rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

With the win, the T-Birds improved their record to 12-6 this season, including 4-1 in Western Athletic Conference contests.

Southern Utah’s next game is at home against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks on Saturday, January 14 at 1 p.m. (MDT). The game will be streamed on ESPN+. After the win over Sam Houston State, ESPN Analytics gave Southern Utah a 71.3 percent chance at taking down the Lumberjacks.

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