Pack The House Game Friday
11/17/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum will be rocking and loud.
Friday marks the fourth annual "Pack the House" Challenge game with more than 2,500 elementary students from Walker County area schools bused to the campus to watch NCAA Division I women's basketball.
Three years ago, in the first "Pack the House" contest, a school women's basketball record crowd of 2,261 saw the Bearkats play Southern Misssissippi. Two years, Ole Miss was the opponent and 2,456 fans filled the coliseum.
Last year the attendance grew to 2,503, another record, as the Kats defeated Centenary 83-55. Sam Houston State hopes to top that mark this year and possibly crack the 3,000 mark in 2011.
"Pack the House" is national effort by NCAA Division I in which conferences and institutions compete to build attendance. The NCAA awards prizes to each winner who in turn donates the $500 to the nonprofit organization of each winning institution's choice.
Almost two-thirds of the Division I membership - 184 institutions - participated in the effort last year that attracted more than 559,000 fans.
Two of the last three seasons, Sam Houston has been the Southland Conference winner in the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball "Pack the House" Challenge.
"Our girls really look forward to the 'Pack the House' game. With all those kids in the coliseum, it's just a great atmosphere," Sam Houston head coach Brenda Nichols said. "It's a great way to introduce area youngsters to college athletics."
Sam Houston brings a 1-0 record into the contest with Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Junior forward Sequeena Thomas scored 23 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead Sam Houston to a 94-74 victory in the women's basketball season opener last Sunday at Johnson Coliseum. Thomas was named Southland Conference women's basketball "Player of the Week" after the performance.
Each of the Bearkats' starters scored in double figures as Jasmin Wiley scored 17, Angela Beadle 14, Britni Martin 13 and Jasmine Johnson 12.
"For a season opener, we were pleased," Nichols said. "We've got some of the pieces missing right now but we had an opportunity to get a look at some of the new faces and some girls that didn't get to play that much last year. We like what we see -- doing those little things, playing without the ball, still working even when you're not getting the ball and not complaing. That is what makes champions."
The contest is the season opener for Mary Hardin-Baylor.
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) 294-1729.
