Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

The defending Southland Conference champion Bearkat women’s basketball team opens its 2013-14 home schedule Friday at 11 a.m. when Sam Houston play host to Louisiana-Lafayette at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

The Bearkat women opened their non-conference schedule last week with a tough road trip to Arkansas.

Sam Houston lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks 81-45 Friday then just missed knocking off a fellow 2013 WNIT participant Arkansas-Little Rock Sunday.

UALR edged the Kats 69-65 after Sam Houston had rallied from 12 points down to cut the margin to three in the final minute.

Two starters and five other lettermen return from last year’s squad that earned SHSU its first Southland women’s basketball regular season championship in 26 years in the league.

The Bearkats made their first Southland tournament finals appearance and earned a berth in the WNIT.

Five veterans comprise the Kats’ starting lineup this season with 6-3 Angela Beadle at the post, 5-10 Nyha Carter at forward and 5-11 Jazmin Wiley, 5-7 Jasmine Johnson and 5-5 Amanda Barnes on the perimeter.

Beadle became the fourth player from Sam Houston to earn all-tournament honors last March in Katy.

Through two games the junior from Austin leads the Kats in both scoring (15.0) and rebounding (6.5).

Johnson is a three-year starter from Missouri City who is averaging 11.5 points per game.

Louisiana-Lafayette brings a 2-0 record into Friday’s contest with wins of 80-68 over Nebraska-Omaha and 72-62 against Southern.

Jasmin Mills, a 6-1 forward, leads the Ragin’ Cajuns with 18.0 points a game.

Friday’s contest is the first of three consecutive home games for the women at Johnson Coliseum.

The Bearkats play host to Houston Baptist Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m. and then meet A&M-Commerce in the annual “Pack the House” elementary school game at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 22.

Tickets for Sam Houston women’s basketball games are available now online at www.gobearkats.com or at the SHSU athletic ticket office in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium.

The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Torrance Williams has been named the Southland Conference football special teams player of the week following an outstanding performance in Sam Houston’s 14-3 victory over Lamar in the Bearkats’ 2013 league opener.

The senior receiver/kick return specialist helped Sam Houston win the field possession battle with five punt returns for 138 yards in a 14-3 victory over Lamar last Saturday.

The Waco, Texas (Connally H.S.) product averaged 27.4 yards per return, including a long of 53 yards.

After his fifth long return, the Cardinals booted their final three punts out-of-bounds.

He also caught two passes for 17 yards and rushed for 18 more to total 173 all-purpose yards.

Williams leads the Southland in punt returns this year (16 for 358) and his 22.4 return average ranks second nationally in the FCS.

During his four-year career, Williams has totaled 1,114 yards in pass receiving and 2,053 all-purpose yards (rushing, receiving and returns).

Williams award marks the fifth time this season for a Bearkat to earn a Southland weekly award.

Sam Houston State travels to Lake Charles, La., to take on McNeese State Saturday at 7 p.m.

The showdown pairs the Southland’s top two FCS nationally ranked teams.

Courtesy: Paul Ridings,Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Timothy Flanders became the all-time Southland Conference rushing leader in Sam Houston State’s 52-21 win against Incarnate Word on Saturday.

Flanders, who ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, passed Claude Mathis of Southwest Texas with a 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before setting the new league record at 4,720 yards.

SHSU senior quarterback Brian Bell also had a career night, throwing four touchdown passes.

Bell tied his previous career best in the first half alone with three touchdown tosses.

Incarnate Word took an early lead on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Trent Brittain to Casey Jennings in the first quarter.

The Bearkats responded with a 19-yard field goal to cut the Cardinals lead to 7-3.

Bell connected with wide receiver Chance Nelson late in the first quarter and Nelson made two Cardinal defenders miss to work his way to the end zone.

Incarnate Word regained the lead in the second quarter with a 1-yard score by running back Junior Sessions.

Then, SHSU took over by outscoring Incarnate Word 42-7 the rest of the way.

Flanders scored on a 7-yard run with 8:52 to go in the second quarter and the Bearkats did not trail from there.

Bell came back with touchdown passes to Richard Sincere and Torrance Williams for 26 and 39 yards, respectively.

The Kats took a 31-14 lead into halftime.

Bell and Williams connected again in the third quarter for a 16-yard touchdown play.

The 41-yard record breaking run by Flanders led to a 45-14 lead for the Kats.

Brittain threw for a 19-yard touchdown to tight end Cole Wick with 3:08 to go in the third quarter.

Bell ran from one yard out in the fourth quarter to score his only rushing touchdown.

SHSU improved to 3-1 on the season.

Incarnate Word dropped to 2-2 and 0-2 against Southland Conference opponents this season.

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

True freshman Breanna Homer has been named as Southland Conference volleyball “Defensive Player of the Week” after leading Sam Houston to a victory in its Southland Conference opener and a runner-up finish in the SHSU Invitational this weekend.

Moving to the libero position, Homer led the Bearkats with 51 digs in three matches, an average of 5.7 digs per set. The LaGrange, Texas, native also posted 55 successful service receptions in 56 attempts during the tournament.

Sam Houston defeated Lamar in three sets in the Bearkats’ Southland opener which also doubled as the team’s opening match in the tournament Friday night. SHSU also blanked Jackson State in three sets Saturday afternoon. Washington State won the event, defeating the Kats in the final match.

She totaled 19 digs in the Jackson State match and 18 against Washington State.

Homer was a four-year varsity player who earned All-District honors in volleyball, softball and basketball at LaGrande. She earned All-State honors in both volleyball and as third baseman in softball.

Sam Houston continues Southland Conference action Thursday and Saturday with road matches at Nicholls State and McNeese State. The next Bearkat home volleyball match is Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Sam Houston linebacker Tanner Brock has been named as Southland Conference “Defensive Player of the Week.”

The award comes after the Bearkats’ 55-17 victory over Texas Southern last Saturday in Huntsville.

Brock recorded seven tackles and two tackles for loss in leading the defense against the Texas Southern Tigers.

The senior from Copperas Cove, Texas (Copperas Cove H.S.), sacked the quarterback twice for losses totaling 10 yards.

In the first half, Sam Houston limited Texas Southern to minus-23 yards rushing and 29 yards passing.

The Bearkats caused four fumbles and recovered three with each turnover setting up the team’s first three touchdowns.

The victory upped the Kats’ season record to 2-1 and set a school record, extending SHSU’s string of consecutive home wins to 16.

The 16-game home winning streak also is the longest current string of wins in FCS play.

Sam Houston’s Timothy Flanders and Torrance Williams both were honorable mention selections this week’s Southland voting for offensive and special teams players of the week.

The Kats play the second in a series of four consecutive home games this Saturday, Sept. 21, when UIW (Incarnate Word) comes to Elliott T. Bowers Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Tickets for all remaining five home games at Bowers Stadium this season plus the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” vs. SFA in Reliant Stadium Nov. 2 are available now online at www.gobearkats.com .

Fans also can purchase tickets by visiting or calling the SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.