Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

HAMMOND, La. – A three-run homer by Hillary Adams in the third inning gave Sam Houston a 4-2 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in the rubber game of both team’s first Southland Conference softball series.

The Lions won both games on Saturday, the first 4-2 and the second 3-1.

Tori Benavidez went 4-for-4 at the plate Sunday as the Bearkats out hit the Lions 11-4.

Haley Baros was the winning pitcher, spreading four hits over six and one third innings.

Kim Damian and Hillary Adams accounted for Sam Houston’s runs in the first game Saturday with RBI singles in the second and seventh innings, respectively.

Two unearned runs in the fourth inning were in difference in the contest.

Shelby Lancaster was the losing pitcher for Sam Houston.

A two-run homer by Melissa Moore powered the Lions to victory in the second game.

Sam Houston took an early one-run lead on another RBI single by Adams.

Meme Quinn took the loss for Sam Houston.

The Bearkats now stand 10-14 for the year while Southeastern Louisiana is 13-7.

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Natchitoches, La. – Four Bearkats scored in double figures as the Sam Houston men’s basketball team fell 84-73 to Southland Conference runner-up Northwestern State in both team’s league regular season finale.

James Thomas scored 16 points, Will Bond 14, Paul Baxter 12 and Marquel McKinney 10 for the Kats who dropped to 15-16 for the year and 8-10 in Southland action.

Shamir Davis powered Northwestern State with 24 points while Brison White totaled 15.

The Demons end the regular season 21-8 and are 15-3 in league play.

The Bearkts kept the contest close until the final few minutes, trailing by only two with 7:15 to play.

“Our players really fought hard today,” Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten said. “You’ve got to give Northwestern State a lot of credit. They rose up and made some difficult shots. We’re looking forward to heading to the tournament.”

Northwestern State started the game with a 10-0 as the Bearkats went the first seven minutes without scoring a point.

Terrance Motley’s tip-in accounted for the first Sam Houston basket with 13:41 left in the first half.

The Demons built an 11-point lead, 18-7, five minutes later.

Back-to-back jumpers by James Thomas started a 15-7 Bearkat run as Sam Houston pulled within three, 25-22 on a three-pointer by Darius Gatson with 4:50 left in the half.

Northwestern State went into the locker room with a 41-35 lead at intermission.

Sam Houston fought back again to take their only lead of the game 50-49 on a Will Bond trey with 12:15 to play.

Northwestern State bounced back in front and the closest the Kats came afterwards was 63-61 after a Nathaniel Mason layup with 7:35 remaining.

The Bearkat men now head to the Southland Conference tournament at the Ferrell Center in Katy where Sam Houston will be the number six seed and play their first round match Wednesday night.

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Natchitoches La. — Looking to nail down an undisputed Southland Conference championship and the number one seed in next week’s league tournament in Katy, the Sam Houston State women’s team stumbled in a 59-50 loss to Northwestern State Saturday afternoon at Prather Coliseum.

Sam Houston (17-13, Southland 13-5) shares the title with Oral Roberts and are the No.2 seed in the SLC tournament after the Golden Eagles defeated Central Arkansas 68-53.

Poor shooting and a strong performance inside by Demon post player Jasmine Upchurch did in the Bearkats..

Upchurch was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points for a Demon squad that hit 23-of-50 from the floor (46.0%).

After going 8-for-9 from the field in the game’s opening seven minutes, Sam Houston went 8-for-46 in the final 33 minutes of action.

For the day, the Kats hit 16-of-55 (29.1%), only the fifth time this year the Sam Houston women have hit less than 30 percent.

“Obviously, this wasn’t our best day, but in the end, we’re still taking a conference championship trophy home,” head coach Brenda Nichols said. “I’m awfully proud of this group and what they’ve accomplished this year, especially our seniors. Now we regroup and get ready for the Southland tournament next week in Katy.

Sequeena Thomas led the Bearkats with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Thomas dominated in the opening minutes, hitting six of her first seven shots including a pair of three pointers to put the Kats up 17-11 after seven minutes.

Sam Houston could not extend the lead any farther.

After going 8-of-9 from the field in the first seven minutes, the Kats sank only two of their next 17 shots in the half.

Northwestern State ended the period with an 8-2 run to take a 26-24 lead into the locker room at intermission.

Upchurch scored the go-ahead basket on a fast break lay-up at the first half buzzer.

The Bearkats’ cold shooting continued in the second half as Sam Houston sank only two of its next 19 shots.

Northwestern State opened with an 11-3 run to go up 37-27 with 15:31.

Demons led by as many as 16, 53-37, with 5:32 to go in the game.

The Bearkats were 6-of-29 (20.7%) in the second period.

Britni Martin and Chanice Smith both scored 12 points.

Martin, who went 6-for-7 from the free throw line, did not hit her first field goal until the 4:31 mark in the second half.

Tickets for the Southland Conference tournament are available on line at www.gobearkats.com or at the SHSU ticket office at (936) 294-1729.

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

The Sam Houston State women’s basketball team clinched at least a tie for the 2013 Southland Conference championship with its 76-68 victory over Stephen F. Austin Thursday night in Nacogdoches.

But the 17-12 Kats who now own a 13-4 record in conference play know their job is only half-finished.

“We’ve been taking things one game at a time all season long,” head coach Brenda Nichols said. “Thursday we assured ourselves of a tie for the championship. Saturday at Northwestern State we have the opportunity to claim the title and raise the trophy all by ourselves.”

Only Oral Roberts, one game behind the Bearkats in second place with a 12-5 league mark, can tie Sam Houston for the title.

A win over the Demons Saturday in Natchitoches erases that possibility.

“The success this year has been a team effort but our focus has been helping our three seniors finally earn a ring,” Nichols said. “Britni Martin, Sequeena Thomas and Chanice Smith have shown up every practice and every game ready to get it done. It’s a great feeling to know that these seniors have won a ring.”

All three seniors have totaled more than 1,000 points during their Bearkat careers.

Martin ranks second in all-time women’s scoring at Sam Houston.

Thomas is fourth and Smith 13th in scoring. Thomas is the only Bearkat ever to total both 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

“The statistics and career marks back up the fact that these young ladies are three of the best players ever to wear the orange and white for Sam Houston women’s basketball,” Nichols said.

It’s been two months since Sam Houston and Northwestern State faced off in Huntsville.

The Bearkats took that game 72-61 with Martin scoring 21 points and Thomas tallying 19 points and 13 rebounds.

“We’ve got to go into their gym focused on what we have to do Saturday,” Nichols said. “Just as we have every week, we’ve got to take things one game at a time.”

With the victory at Nacogdoches, Sam Houston also clinched one of the top two seeds in the Southland Conference tournament next week in Katy at the Ferrell Center.

Both the top two seeds receive a bye into the semifinals on Friday March 15.

Tickets for the Southland Conference tournament are available now on line at www.gobearkats.com .