Basketball Recap: Samson Comes Up Short + How To Watch

Tigers

Previous 5 Games

12/02/25 @ Pike Liberal Arts	73-74
11/21/25 @ Slocomb	58-35
11/20/25 @ Geneva	43-60
11/18/25 vs Paxton	38-51
11/17/25 @ Kinston	44-41

If Samson was feeling good fresh off their 58-35 takedown of Slocomb two weeks ago, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Tigers were just a bucket shy of victory on Tuesday and fell 74-73 to the Pike Liberal Arts Patriots. Even though they lost, the Tigers' still made a splash on offense and bumped their average scoring up to 50.3 points per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).

Several Tigers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Ben McKenzie, who dropped a double-double with 20 points and 13 boards. McKenzie is crushing it when it comes to rebounds: he's pulled down at least ten every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Tyler Lamb, who shot 4-for-7 from downtown and dropped a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards.

Samson has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-3 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.0 points over those games. Pike Liberal Arts' first win this season bumped their record up to 1-3.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Samson will host Wicksburg at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Tigers will be up against the Panthers' rather soft defense (which has allowed 54 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Pike Liberal Arts, they will be playing in front of their home fans against McKenzie at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.