Bearkat Bowling Team Aims For A Great Season
by Cheval John
When the SHSU Bearkat bowling team reached the NCAA Bowling Championship in 2011, they made history by becoming the first-ever inaugural program to attain that feat.
They knew that they had to play even better in their second year in order to make two straight appearances in the NCAA Championships.
The championships only had eight spots and in order to be selected, a team had to be ranked nationally in the top eight.
Though they finished the season with a 79-35 record, they were not selected by the NCAA committee to participate in the tournament because they were ranked at No.9.
Now they are more focused than ever and will begin their third season ranked No.8 with the Tulane Invitational set to begin on Friday.
“It was tough for all of us,” head coach Brad Hagen said. “I’m a firm believer that it’s in the past for a reason and now we move forward.”
The Bearkats returns three letterman in senior Michelle Secours, junior Kim Davidson and junior Neishka Cardona.
They have a combined average of 190.22 total pins.
“It’s kind of a redemption year because our goal is just to go to nationals,” Davidson said.
In addition to her time at SHSU, Cardona representing her native Puerto Rico in international tournaments during the summer.
“She (Neishka Cardona)had a great summer at the international side again. … That’s positive momentum going into this year,” Hagen said.
They’ve also added five new faces to the squad that have in junior transfer Kelsey Smith (Arkansas State), Rebecca Pittser (McKendree University), and three freshman Erin Brown, Anna Groce and Hannah Harrison.
Hagen believes that he has recruited quality players because they understand the goal of the team and knows that they are aiming to make an immediate contribution.
“We been doing a lot of stuff already as a team. … They are bonding more quickly than I was hoping,” Hagen said.
“We had great teams in the past two years, but we are a lot deeper this year.”
The start time for the Tulane Invitational is at 9 a.m and will continue on Saturday.
Bearkats-Islanders Squares Off Tomorrow
by Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
The two teams tied for second place in the Southland Conference will square off Thursday night at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum, as the Sam Houston State (13-9, 8-2) plays host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (15-6, 8-2) at 7 p.m.
The Bearkats are winners of eight consecutive matches, a streak that started Sept. 22 against the Islanders in Corpus Christi. Sam Houston has racked up six straight-set victories during the winning streak and has only dropped two sets total.
Deveney Wells-Gibson, the reigning Southland Offensive Player of the Week, is coming off a career-best 27 kills against Lamar. Her 317 kills this season is tops in the Southland.
Kim Black, who received Southland Defensive Player of the Week honors, has led the Bearkats in blocks in eight consecutive matches and 19 of 22 contests this year. The senior’s 109 blocks this season leads the conference.
Tayler Gray keeps the Bearkat offense clicking with 837 assists this season. Her 10.59 assists per set is second-best in the Southland Conference.
For the Islanders, Shannon Hullum leads the offense in kills with 226. Hullum, the lone senior on the team, ranks seventh in kills in the league.
A&M-Corpus is the only team in the Southland to beat Central Arkansas this year. The Islanders topped the Bears in five sets on the opening day of league play Brianna Brink (197 kills) and Ivy Baresh (181) also are top scorers for TAMUCC.
The next action for Sam Houston will be Thurday. Oct. 25 at Oral Roberts.
Beauchamp Named SLC “Defensive Player of The Week”
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston linebacker Jessie Beauchamp has been named as Southland Conference football “Defensive Player of the Week” after helping lead the Bearkats to their second shutout in the past two years at Nicholls State last Saturday.
In the 41-0 SHSU victory, the junior from Klein, Texas (Collins H.S.), totaled nine tackles and had two tackles for loss, including an eight-yard sack, to go with two pass breakups and a pair of fumble recoveries. The Bearkats limited Nicholls to only 20 yards rushing and 238 total yards.
Both fumble recoveries set up Sam Houston touchdown drives.
Beauchamp, who stepped into the SHSU lineup after an injury in the season opener to Eric Fieilo, has become a force for the Bearkat defense. He ranks as the squad’s third leading tackler this season with 37 stops including six tackles for losses.
Beauchamp is the fourth “Player of the Week” honoree for the Bearkat this season.
Sam Houston swept all three awards a week ago after a 51-43 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the “Battle of the Piney Woods.” Quarterback Brian Bell, linebacker Darnell Taylor and punter Matt Foster took offensive, defensive and special teams honors in that game, respectively.
The Bearkats play host to McNeese State at Sam Houston’s homecoming contest this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
No.9 Bearkats Beats Down Nicholls State 41-0
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
THIBIDOUX, La. – Two Bearkats added to their career achievements as they led Sam Houston to a 41-0 victory over Nicholls State Saturday night at Guidry Stadium.
The win improved the No. 9 ranked Sam Houston football team to 4-2 for the year and 2-1 in Southland Conference play.
Timothy Flanders now is the all-time leading scorer in Bearkat football history.
His three touchdowns up his career point total to 270, passing kicker Billy Hayes who totaled 258 points from 1985 to 1988.
Flanders rushed 15 times for 67 yards, leaving the game after three quarters.
SHSU’s all-time rushing leader, Flanders now ranks ninth in Southland Conference career rushing with 3,159 career yards.
Brian Bell became Sam Houston State’s second all-time leader in touchdown passes with a pair of scoring throws.
The junior signal-caller completed 15 of 19 passes for 180 yards.
The two TD passes give a career total of 38, moving ahead of Rhett Bomar (37 TD passes in 2007-08) and one behind Dustin Long (39 TD throws in 2004).
Richard Sincere and Trey Diller added big plays as well.
Sincere rushed six times for 74 yards including a long gain of 47 yards and caught a 25-yard pass.
Diller led both teams with seven catches for 72 yards and returned a punt 49 yards to set up a score.
Sam Houston outgained Nicholls 453 total yards to 258. The Kats allowed the Colonels only 20 yards rushing.
The shutout was the second in the past two seasons for SHSU.
The last one occurred last year in a 66-0 win over blanked Lamar.
After a Nicholls State missed field goal, Sam Houston drove 80-yards in 11 plays for a Flanders touchdown from the one-yard line eight seconds into the second quarter.
Bell passes for Shane Young for 24 yards to the Colonel 33 and Diller for 17 to the Colonel 14 were key plays in the drive.
Jesse Beauchamp’s fumble recovery after a tackle by Kenneth Jenkins set up the Kats’ second score.
Three Bell passes highlighted the seven-play, 48-yard drive. Bell hit Richard Sincere for a 25-yard gain to the Nicholls 21.
On third-and-13, the quarterback passed 14 yards to Diller.
Melvis Pride scored with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter on a five-yard pass.
Sam Houston started the second half with a seven-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard scoring run by Flanders, putting the Kats up 21-0 three minutes into the third quarter.
Flanders scored another one-yard touchdown with 4:54 to play in the third as the Bearkats drove 90-yards in nine plays.
Sincere’s 47-yard run to the Nicholls 11-yard line was the big play of the possession.
Diller’s 49-yard punt return to the Nicholls 40 set up another touchdown on SHSU’s third drive in the quarter.
The Kats took only four plays to score as Bell hit Chance Nelson for a 18-yard touchdown.
The tally gave SHSU a 34-0 lead with 10 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Ridgeway Frank picked up a touchdown on a five-yard run with 5:21 remaining to complete a eight-play, 51-yard drive in the fourth quarter.
Bearkat Volleyball On Fire With Eighth Straight Win
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Beaumont – A point away from being two sets to none down, the Sam Houston volleyball team rallied to chalk up its eighth consecutive victory in four sets at Lamar Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson posted a career best 27 kills to lead the Bearkats in a 22-25 28-26 25-13 25-21 win over the Cardinals.
Perhaps the biggest point of the match for Wells-Gibson was a kill with Lamar serving for the second set at 26-25.
Kim Black picked up the kill on the next point and Wells-Gibson served an ace to win the set 28-26 and even the match at a set apiece.
From that point on, Sam Houston won 50 of the next 84 points to up its season record to 13-9 and stand 8-2 in Southland Conference action.
Lamar dropped to 9-14 for the year and 1-8 in league play.
Kendall Cleveland and Kaylee Hawkins also produced double figure kills with totals of 11 and 10, respectively.
Wells-Gibson made only seven hitting errors in her 54 attempts Saturday.
Tayler Gray assisted of 46 kills and teamed with Cleveland to lead the Bearkat defense with 12 digs apiece.
Black added five blocks on the front row for Sam Houston.
Sam Houston returns to Johnson Coliseum to play host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Islanders and the Bearkats enters Thursday’s action tied for second place in league standings while Central Arkansas is currently in first place.