Women's basketball begins preseason camp this weekend
10/14/2010 11:42:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sam Houston State's 2009-10 women's basketball season was the most successful campaign for the Bearkats in a decade.
The Bearkat women posted their best Southland Conference finish and record since 1999-2000, post double digit season wins for the first time in 10 years and made their first Southland Conference post-season appearance since 2004.
Sam Houston placed fifth in the Southland Conference West Division with an 8-8 league mark. The Kats lost to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first round of the tournament in Katy.
Now with a young squad of talented players, the Bearkat women hope to continue their upward climb in the Southland race. Head coach Brenda Welch-Nichols and her staff start the road towards 2010-11 women's basketball action this weekend as preseason practice begins.
An important task for the Bearkat women will be replacing players who accounted for 48.8 of the team's 71.7 points per game during an 11-18 season.
Gone are three four-year starters who all averaged in double figures last year. Two, All-Southland guard Brittany Brooks and forward Whitney Smith, ended their careers ranked among the top 10 in women's career scoring at SHSU. Guard Ray Alexander stands No. 21 in all-time scoring and No. 6 in career assists in the Kat record book.
But head coach Brenda Welch-Nichols looks to reload with an exciting group of returning players and another quality recruiting class.
Sophomore Clarke Davis is team's lone returning starter. The 6-0 forward earned a starting role in pre-conference play and averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in league action.
Chanice Smith, a 5-9 sophomore guard, averaged 19.5 minutes and 8.7 points off the bench in 2009-10. Other returning players from last year's squad include 5-6 junior guard Khamra Echols (4.9 points), 6-0 sophomore forward Sequeena Thomas (3.6 points), 6-0 senior forward Terrah Austin (3.8 points) and 6-2 junior post LaTisha Morgan (1.1 points).
Sophomore Britni Martin, a 6-0 guard who was a medical redshirt in 2009-10, also returns. Two years ago, Martin was the first Sam Houston freshman woman to score in double figures since Shayla Teague in 1995. Posting a 10.5 average in 2009, Martin became only the fifth freshman in Bearkat women's basketball history to score in double digits.
Four freshmen and one junior college transfer bring needed height, quickness and scoring ability. The newcomers include 5-6 junior guard Devin Wombles from Pleasant Hill, Ill. and freshmen 5-10 Nyha Carter from League City, 5-7 Jasmine Johnson from Missouri City, 6-1 Ashton Jones from Houston Cy Woods and 6-1 Zoe Tucker from Houston Cy Creek.
Sam Houston State will open its 2010-11 women's basketball schedule with an exhibition game against Howard Payne on Saturday November 6 at 6:30 p.m. The regular season will begin with a trip to the University of Mississippi Nov. 12-13 for the Ole Miss Classic Tournament.
