Women's basketball heads to Ole Miss
11/11/2010 6:42:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Redhawks return four starters and four other letterwinners from a squad that went 7-21 last year to place 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference.
In the other bracket, host University of Mississippi will meet Jackson State in a 3:30 p.m. contest Friday. Kayla Melson, a 5-8 guard who averaged 12.7 points, is the only starter back from an Ole Miss team that rolled up a 17-15 record last year. Jackson State returns all four starters from its 6-22 squad of 2010.
After rolling up its best season record in a decade (11-18) and earning its first Southland Conference post-season tournament berth since 2004 last year, the Bearkats field a young squad this 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.
"We're really excited about what these youngsters can do," Nichols said. "Preseason practice has been fun every day. They are a bunch of enthusiastic hard workers."
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.
The new freshmen include 6-0 forward Sequeena Thomas, 5-9 guard Chanice Smith and 6-0 forward Clarke Davis. Thomas averaged 15.1 points and 12 rebounds as an all-state forward at Parkland High School in Allentown, PA last year. Smith scored 10.1 points per game leading Mansfield Timberview High School to a 36-4 record and the Texas Class 4A state finals. Davis, who played on a state championship team in Murfreesboro, TN, as a sophomore, averaged 9.4 points and 5.6 rebounds for Mansfield High School as a senior.
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) 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.
"We're much more athletic this year and look to be improved in all phases of the game," Nichols said. "The girls have demonstrated a great work ethic during the off-season and everyone is determined to continue to raise our stature in the Southland Conference."
Following the trip to Oxford, Sam Houston will return to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum to hope its 2010-11 home slate with the annual "Pack the House" game. This year's "Pack the House" opponent is Centenary.
The contest will tip at 12 noon at Johnson with more than 2,000 Huntsville area elementary school students attending.
Bearkat women's basketball tickets are on sale online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the SHSU Athletic Ticket Office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1764.
