Women open with UT-Tyler
11/12/2011 7:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Bearkats will play host to the UT-Tyler Patriots in a 3:30 p.m. contest and the Sam Houston women look to make the opener the start of another record-breaking season in 2011-12.
Last year's campaign was one for the record books as the Bearkats compiled an overall season mark of 17-14, producing the program's first above .500 year since the 1995-96 squad with 18-10.
The team's 11-5 Southland record marked the women's highest league finish since 2000. The squad's third place finish in the overall league standings equaled the 1996 team's performance as the program's highest ever conference finish.
Head coach Brenda Nichols and her team got their first taste of major success by tying for the Southland Conference West Division title. But the joy was short-lived as the Kats fell to UTSA in the first round of the post-season tournament in Katy.
With all five starters back plus talented newcomers and several top returning reserve players, the experienced Bearkats are hungry for another shot at post-season play.
"We don't want to just get to the tournament," Nichols said. "We want to stay there awhile. That's something our players have talked about since we left last March."
The league's coaches picked Sam Houston to finish third in the West this year behind UTSA and Stephen F. Austin. The Bearkats are used to low expectations in preseason. Last season, they were tabbed to finish last among the six Western Division teams but ended up in first place.
"We're excited to be starting the season," Nichols said. "We've got a very balanced group this year with season veterans and top young players."
The statistics from Sam Houston's exhibition victory demonstrated the Kats' balance. Four players scored in double figures.
Junior forward Britni Martin and freshman guard Jasmin Wiley each scored 16. Freshman post player Angela Beadle produced 14 points and led both teams with 13 rebounds. Wiley pulled down 11 boards for the Kats. Sequeena Thomas also scored in double figures with 10 points.
Martin and Thompson were first and second team selections, respectively, on the 2012 preseason All-Southland Conference team, also voted upon by the league's head coaches. The head coach sees her squad as extremely team-oriented.
"They don't care who is getting the glory as long as we do it as a team," Nichols said. "This year, they're going to get so much more help. We've been waiting for this weekend a long time."
The UT-Tyler game is the first of two home appearances to tip off the 2011-12 schedule at Johnson Coliseum. Sam Houston plays host to Mary Hardin-Baylor at 12 noon at Friday, November 18, in the annual "Pack the House" contest where more than 2,500 Huntsville and Walker County area school kids will attend.
Then the Bearkats test themselves with a pair of top notch road trips to take on Vanderbilt on Tuesday November 22 and Kentucky on Friday November 25.
Tickets for all home Sam Houston State women's basketball games are available on line at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. The ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
