Bearkats Aiming For Encore In 2013 Season
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
When the Sam Houston State Bearkats began the season at 1-13 last year, many believed that they were on their way to having another dreadful year.
But the Bearkats won their final 26 out of 29 games to finish in second place in the Southland Conference behind regular season champion Texas State Bobcats and made the SLC Tournament.
After opening the tournament with a loss, the Bearkats won their next three games to reach the finals, where they eventually lost to the Bobcats.
Now with the Bobcats gone due to joining the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), the Bearkats has been picked to win the 2013 Southland Conference softball title in the annual preseason poll of the league’s head coaches.
The Bearkats received seven first-place votes from the coaches and 78 total points.
Key returners for the Bearkats feature include first baseman Kim Damian, a senior from Angleton, Texas; third baseman Shelbi Tucker, a senior from Montgomery, Texas; catcher Hillary Adams, a sophomore from Elgin, Texas; and outfielder Tori Benavidez, a senior from Midlothian, Texas.
McNeese State, the team that Sam Houston defeated in last year’s Southland tournament semifinals, has been tabbed second by the coaches.
The Cowgirls return 11 letterwinners, including seven starters and two pitchers.
Central Arkansas stands third in the coaches’ poll, followed by A&M-Corpus Christi, Stephen F. Austin, Northwestern State and Nicholls State.
Houston Baptist, which is an affiliate member for softball this season before becoming a member of the Southland in all sports next year, was picked to finish tied for eighth along with Southeastern Louisiana in the coaches’ poll.
Lamar, which is reviving its softball program this season after playing from 1983-87, was picked to finish 10th in both polls.
Southland teams open the season Feb. 7 with conference play beginning March 9.
The conference tournament will be hosted by Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La., May 9-11 at the Lady Demon Diamond Complex.
The championship game will be streamed live exclusively on ESPN3.
Sam Houston State’s first softball action will come Feb. 7-9 at the Baylor Bear Classic in Waco
No.5 Bearkats Dismantled Lions 70-0
by Cheval John
Whether it was rain or shine, the Sam Houston State Bearkat football team came ready to play.
The Bearkats totaled 575 yards of offense in the 70-0 beat down of Southeastern Louisiana Lions in their last regular season home game at Bowers Stadium.
The win increased their streak at Bowers to 14 games since 2010 and have kept them in the hunt for a share of the Southland Conference (SLC) title.
The majority of those yards came on the run, especially in the second half when they ran for 275 yards and scored 28 points without attempting a pass.
The massacre began when running back Tim Flanders ran for a 14-yard touchdown that capped a 7-play, 48-yard drive for a 7-0 lead.
That was only the beginning.
After a three and out by the Lions, the Bearkats (5-1 SLC, 7-2 overall) started their second drive with a 2-yard run by utility man Richard Sincere.
Later, junior quarterback Brian Bell threw it up the middle and wide receiver Chance Nelson dove and made the catch for a 23-yard gain for a first down.
A few plays later, Sincere ran with the blockers and cut to the left for an 8-yard touchdown that increased the lead to 14-0.
The Lions (3-2 SLC play, 3-6 overall) had their best chance of the day to score when they drove it down the field to the Bearkat 21 yard line.
After a five-yard penalty that moved them back to the 26, defensive back Robert Shaw blocked the potential field goal and defensive back Kenneth Jenkins recovered it and took it 72-yards for the touchdown that increased the lead to 21-0.
Jarrett Brown’s interception on the Lions 34 put the Bearkats in great field position.
It seemed as if the Bearkats were going to settle for a field goal as they were only moved 7-yards on three plays.
But an offside penalty on the Lions on 4 and 3 allowed the drive to stay alive and a few plays later, junior running back Ryan Wilson went up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown that increased the lead to 28-0.
The Bearkats added two more scores on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Bell to Nelson and a 23-yard pass from Bell to wide receiver Torrance Williams to increase the lead to 42-0 by halftime.
After an hour lighting/rain delay, the Bearkats got back to it as Flanders found a seam and exploded for 71-yards for the score that made it 49-0.
They added three more scores on a touchdown run by freshman quarterback Chris Grett and two TD runs by sophomore running back Keyshawn Hill (8, 55) that sealed the deal at 70-0.
Flanders finished with 146-yards and two scores on 9 carries while Bell went 8 of 9 for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Hill totaled 132 yards and two scores on 15 carries.
The Bearkats finishes SLC play on Saturday when they go on the road against Northwestern State Demons.
If the Bearkats win against the Demons, they will have a share of the SLC title with Central Arkansas.
The start time for the game was moved to 3 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. due to the fact that it will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network.
Bearkats Edges Lumberjacks 51-43 In Piney Woods Battle
Courtesy: Charlie Blalock
Courtesy: Paul Ridings,Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Houston, Texas – Brian Bell passed for 168 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for two other scores to lead Sam Houston State to a 51-43 Southland Conference victory over Stephen F. Austin Saturday before a record crowd of 26,185 at Reliant Stadium.
Bell’s second touchdown, a nine-yard run, gave Sam Houston a 51-28 lead with 13:05 to play in the fourth.
Stephen F. Austin, led by wide receiver Cordell Roberson who caught 14 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns, battled back. Roberson scored on passes of three and eight yards after back-to-back 51 yards.
When the Bearkats could not pick up a first down, the Jacks drove down to the Bearkat 30 yard line where, on fourth down and 10, Brady Attaway’s pass sailed just over Roberson’s hands to end the game.
Attaway completed 39 of 76 paases for 545 yards and six touchdowns.
Sam Houston State rolled up 566 yards total offense while SFA totaled 396.
All-America running back Tim Flanders gained 125 yards on 27 carries including a long of 44 yards. Bell rushed for 69 yards.
Trey Diller led the Bearkats with 97 yards receiving.
Sam Houston trailed 14-3 in the first quarter but fought back to take a 23-14 halftime lead. The big play in the first half was a 92-yard interception return by Bookie Sneed. The return set a school record, breaking the record of 90 yards by Paul Wenzel set in 1968 against Sul Ross.
Sneed, Darnell Taylor and Kenneth Jenkins led the Kat defense, each with 10 tackles. Taylor also intercepted an Attaway pass.
Sam Houston upped its record to 3-2 for the year while SFA dropped to 2-3. Both teams are 1-1 in Southland Conference action.
Bearkats Receives Invite To Pre-Season WNIT
by Cheval John
After making their first national post-season tournament appearance, the Sam Houston State Bearkat women’s basketball team will start the 2012-13 season with an invite to the Pre-Season Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).
The Bearkats will face the University of Delaware Blue Hens in the opening round of the tournament in Newark, Delaware.
The winner of the match will advance to the second round of the tournament
The Blue Hens were the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Conference Champions last season and are looking to start their title defense in style.
“From what I know, they are a very good team coming off last year,” Bearkat women’s basketball head coach Brenda Nichols said to a representative of the SHSU’s athletic department media relations.
“We are excited for this opportunity and look forward to being able to play some intense and exciting competitors.”
The Blue Hens will be led by senior forward/guard Elena Delle Donne.
Delle Donne is an All-American who averaged 26.1 points per game, made 91.9% of her free throws and shot 38.8% from the three-point line last season.
She received honors from the Associated Press, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), United States Writers Association, the Naismith Award and John Wooden Award.
She was named “Player of the Year” by the CAA and was a finalist for “Player of the Year” by the WBCA, Naismith and Wooden Awards.
“You can’t really measure yourself as a player without going up against the best,” Nichols said. “There is no doubt she is one of the best and will be a true challenge for our team.”
The Bearkats are looking forward to that challenge as they are returning 12 letterman from last year’s team who were the West Division Champions of the Southland Conference and made their first national post-season appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI).
They made it to the semi-final round of the tournament, where they were knocked off by the University of Northern Iowa.
Leading the charge for the Bearkats are seniors Britni Martin and Sequeena Thomas.
Martin was ranked 10th in the nation for three-pointers (2.93 per game) and scored 523 total points for the season.
She was runner-up for the Southland Conference’s “Player of the Year” that went to Central Arkansas’ Megan Herbert.
Thomas led the Southland Conference in rebounds (12.6 per game).
She averaged 14.8 points per game and had an average of 2.0 blocks which ranked her #9 and #2 in the conference, respectively.
The tournament consists of 16 teams from around the country and will be held from November 9 to November 16-17.
The Bearkats-Blue Hen match will begin at 7 p.m.
For more information on the tournament, visit www.womensnit.com.