Bearkat WBB Looks To Finish The Job
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 .
Bearkat Football “Feels” At Home With 2013 Schedule
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Highlighted by a rematch of last December’s NCAA Division I Championships semifinal with Eastern Washington, Sam Houston State has announced its 2013 football schedule.
Bearkat director of athletics Bobby Williams and head football coach Willie Fritz made the announcement of the 2013 schedule that includes three non-conference and three Southland home contests at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium, the “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry game at Reliant Stadium and a trip to College Station to face Cotton Bowl champion Texas A&M.
Williams and Fritz also indicated that efforts still are being made to add a 12th regular season game.
“Everyone involved in Bearkat athletics is thrilled about our exciting football schedule for 2013,” Williams said. “With six games in Huntsville and two more just one hour away in Houston and College Station, Sam Houston fans will have plenty of opportunities to come cheer for their nationally ranked Bearkats.”
The “crown jewel” of the home slate is a September 28 date matching the teams that stood No. 2 and No. 4 in last season’s final Football Championship Subdivision national rankings.
No. 2 Sam Houston defeated No. 4 Eastern Washington 45-42 in a contest that was an instant classic.
The Bearkats raced out to a 35-0 halftime lead only to see the Eagles roar back to score 42 second half points.
A 42-yard field goal by Miquel Antonio with 5:33 to play proved to be the difference that earned Sam Houston its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Division I national championship game in Frisco.
Eastern Washington travels to Huntsville for a Sept. 28 date with a Sam Houston squad that is 5-0 against the Big Sky in the past two years.
EWU tied for the Big Sky Conference co-championship in 2012.
Sept. 28’s contest with EWU also will be the highlight of 2013 Sam Houston Parents / Family Weekend in Huntsville.
“As in the past, our athletic administration and football staff have worked diligently together to make this schedule possible,” Williams said. “We’ve had some amazing crowds for Bearkat football both here in Huntsville at Bowers and at Reliant Stadium in Houston. With the success of the past two seasons, we’re looking for even bigger things in 2013.”
Southwestern Athletic Conference member Texas Southern and future Southland Conference member, Incarnate Word of San Antonio are Sam Houston’s first two non-conference home foes on Sept. 14 and 21, respectively.
Sam Houston State will start its campaign for a third consecutive Southland Conference football championship by hosting Lamar Oct. 12.
Other Southland Bowers Stadium dates are Northwestern State Oct. 26 and Nicholls State Nov. 9.
The contest with the Lamar Cardinals Oct. 12 has been designated as Sam Houston’s 2013 Homecoming game.
“Six home games and the trip to Reliant Stadium make this a great schedule for us,” Fritz said. “The enthusiastic crowds we’ve had at Bowers Stadium and Reliant during the two championship seasons have been a big key to our success.
“We had to work hard to fill out the non-conference schedule after Alabama State did not honor their contract and never notified us,” Fritz added. “But the effort paid off and we’re looking forward to see even more orange in the stands both at home and on the road.”
Sam Houston will play three Southland Conference road games in 2013, traveling to McNeese State Oct. 19, Southeastern Louisiana Nov. 16 and Central Arkansas Nov. 23.
“Returning to Conway for the second year in a row to play Central Arkansas was a scheduling decision made by the Southland Conference,” Williams said. “Our appeal to change that decision was denied.”
The Bearkats stand 25-5 during the past two seasons with records of 14-1 and 11-4 during their Southland championship seasons in 2011 and 2012.
In the 50 years of Southland Conference football, only three programs (Arkansas State in 1968-70, Louisiana Tech in 1972-74 and McNeese State in 2001-03) have won three Southland football titles in a row.
The 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” will be played at Reliant Stadium in Houston Nov. 2.
The past three years, the annual rivalry battle has drawn crowds of more than 25,000 fans to the home of the Houston Texans.
Sam Houston State will be announcing season ticket packages shortly as renewal information will go out to Bearkat season ticket holders.
For more information about tickets, go to www.gobearkats.com or call the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at (936) 294-1729.
To see the schedule, click here
Bearkat Bowlers Came Up Short In Central Missouri Tournament
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
The No. 8 ranked Sam Houston women’s bowling team finished seventh in best-of-seven baker bracket play on the final day of competition Sunday at the Central Missouri Women’s Intercollegiate.
The tournament was hosted by No. 1 ranked Central Missouri at the AMF Pro Bowl Lanes in North Kansas City, Missouri.
Sam Houston went 5-7 in the tournament, posting victories over No. 5 Vanderbilt, No. 6 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 15 Valparaiso and unranked foes Elmhurst and Louisiana Tech.
No. 3 Nebraska was the tournament champion, defeating No. 4 Arkansas State in the best-of-seven baker bracket finals.
No. 5 Vanderbilt defeated No. 10 Stephen F. Austin in the third place playoff.
Nebraska, which went 12-0 in the Invitational, also finished first in total pins with 11,265.
Stephen F. Austin (10,837) was the runner-up in total pin count, followed by Arkansas State (10,784), Vanderbilt (10,623), Central Missouri (10,510), Wisconsin-Whitewater (10,479) and Valparaiso (10,459).
Sam Houston placed eighth in total pins with 10,409 followed by Alabama-Birmingham (9,761), Elmhurst (9,503) and Louisiana Tech (9,421).
Sunday, Sam Houston lost to No. 15 Valparaiso in its first bracket match of the day four games to three.
No. 1 Central Missouri defeated the Kats in five games.
Sam Houston earned seventh place in a rematch with Valparaiso, winning in six games.
Saturday in tradition team match action, Sam Houston lost to No. 10 Stephen F. Austin 1,046-971, defeated No. 6 Wisconsin-Whitewater 1,052-954, fell to No. 3 Nebraska 975-908 and beat Louisiana Tech 1,054-889.
In Friday’s quad baker play, Sam Houston opened with a 932-912 victory over No. 5 Vanderbilt.
The Bearkats lost to unranked Alabama-Birmingham 955-949, defeated unranked Elmhurst 968-905, then lost their final two matches of the day to No. 1 Central Missouri 1011-941 and No. 4 Arkansas State 1021-883.
Sam Houston now owns an 86-32 season dual match record.
Sam Houston is 31-23 against teams that have been ranked among the top 20.
The Bearkats have won five tournament titles this year and were the runners-up in the Holiday Classic at Bessemer, Ala, in their last outing.
During the fall semester, the Kats won tournament titles at the Tulane Invitational, the Alabama A&M tournament and the Track Kat Klash in Huntsville.
The Bearkats won the Bowie State Intercollegiate and the Southern Invitational this month.
Sam Houston State will complete regular season action with a tournament Smyma, Tennessee Mar 15-17.
Bearkat MBB Tamed SLU Lions 54-45
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Huntsville – Led by James Thomas with 15 points and Darius Gatson with eight points and 13 rebounds, Sam Houston State defeated Southeastern Louisiana 54-45 in a Southland Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon.
The victory upped the Bearkats’ record to 15-14 for the year while the Lions dropped to 10-17.
Both teams own 8-8 league marks.
The Bearkats never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 13-4 lead after a three-pointer by Darius Gatson seven minutes into the contest.
The Lions cut the margin to five twice, but the Kats went into the locker room at intermission with a 27-15 lead.
Sam Houston led by as many as 17 in the second half, but the Lions cut the margin to six points, 45-39, on a three-pointer by Brandon Fortenberry with 4:21 to play.
The Bearkats went 6-of-6 from the foul line in the final three minutes to hold off the Southeastern Louisiana rally.
Brandon Fortenberry led the Lions with 22 points.
Marquel McKinney and Paul Baxter each added eight points to the Bearkats’ efforts.
Arkansas State Steals First Game Of Series From Bearkats
By Cheval John
Pinch-hitter Ryan Robert’s go-ahead, game-winning two-run single in the top of the ninth inning gave Arkansas State Seawolves a 5-3 victory over Sam Houston State Bearkats in the first of the three-game series on Friday night.
Though both teams left 10 men on base, the Bearkat pitching staff walked 9 Arkansas State batters in that put them in a difficult position to win.
“When you walk nine guys, you always going to get beat,” coach David Pierce said. “The bullpen didn’t do a very good job tonight.”
Seawolves reliever Chandler Hawkins pitched two innings in relief and got the win.
But starter John Koch was in command of his pitches and went after the strike zone with his change up and fast ball that kept Arkansas State (7-2) in the game.
“He (Koch) just pounded the zone. … He’s very competitive, managed the game well.” Pierce said.
The Seawolves struck first in the top of the third inning after third baseman Claude Johnson issued a bases-loaded walk to score Stuart Levy from third to make it 1-0.
Carter Burgess’s two out, two-run double to left field in the bottom of the third inning gave the Bearkats a 2-1 lead.
Luke Plucheck drew a walked with two outs.
Atwood followed with a walk to put runners on first and second and both later scored on Burgess’ double.
Arkansas State had opportunities to tie the game in the top of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings and every time, the Bearkats found a way to get out of those jams.
The Bearkats (4-5) got that critical third run when Ryan Farney scored from second on an error by Johnson to increase their lead to 3-1.
It seemed as if SHSU was out of the woods, but the Seawolves found a way to get back in the game in the top of the eighth when pinch-hitter Ryan Roberts hit a two out, two-run single to right field to tie the game at 3.
Zach George led off the ninth inning with an infield single. The play was as close as it gets as he just barely beat the throw., but in the process went down with an injury.
Austin Baker pinch ran and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dustin Jones. He advanced to third on a wild pitch by Jason Simms, who suffered the loss for the Kats.
Logan Uxa and Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs.
Then Robertson hit the go-ahead, two run single to right field that brought in Baker and Uxa for the 5-3 lead.
Things got interested in the bottom of the ninth when Atwood issued a walk with one out after coming back from 0-2 on the count.
Though Burgess struck out for the second out, Ryan O’Hearn kept the inning alive by issuing a walk to bring the potential game-winning run in Spence Rahm.
Rahm hit a sharp grounder that would have went into the left field, but Johnson made a diving stop to his left and threw Rahm out by a margin to end the game.
“He (Rahm) had a good swing down the line, but Johnson made a good play,” Atwood said.
Bearkat starter Caleb Smith went 6 1/3 innings and got the no-decision with 9 strike outs and one earned run given up.
The Bearkats (4-5) have been close in every contest this season.
Even with a tough loss, they are aiming to regroup and get better for tomorrow’s game.
“We had a lot of close games,” center fielder Colt Atwood, who went 2 for 2 with three walks said, “We’ve been in every game that’s for sure. We haven’t been blown out but we got to get back to work.”