Women ready to roll in 2012
11/7/2011 6:22:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The SHSU women tied for the Southland Conference West Division championship last year and posted the program's best season record (17-14) since 1995-96.
The women return 62.7 of the 69.3 points per game they scored last year including all five of their starters.
Is this the year the Bearkat women truly enter the race for top spot in the Southland Conference race.
"Last year we had a portion of our conference play when we kind of lost it," junior Sequeena Thomas said. "We weren't mentally tough yet. We were happy just to make the conference tournament. This year we intend to stay awhile."
Last year's women placed third in the overall Southland standings, equaling the program's highest finish ever in 1996.
"We're really excited to get started," Nichols said. "With two returning All-Southland Conference performers, we feel like we're poised to be a big factor in the coming race."
To prepare the team, Nichols has pitted the Bearkats against a tough non-conference schedule that includes trips to Vanderbilt, Kentucky, TCU and Missouri.
"You get better playing better people," Nichols said. "If we can compete with those teams, it will tell us a lot about how we go into the conference."
Britni Martin, a junior forward from Conroe, is a preseason first-team All-Southland selection and a threat from the perimeter for the Kats. She begins her junior year ranked No. 16 in Sam Houston women's career scoring (787 points, 13.3 career average).
Thomas, also a junior, was SHSU's co-Most Valuable Player with Martin last year and is a second team preseason all-league pick.
Khamra Echols, Chanice Smith and Clarke Davis, also starters last season, all return as well.
"We basically have everybody back plus some talented new players who have been pushing everyone in preseason ball," Thomas said. "We have our expectations set high this season."
There is no admission charge for Sam Houston's Tuesday exhibition. The regular season for the Kats begins Sunday afternoon at 3:30 when SHSU will play host to UT-Tyler.
Tickets for SHSU women's basketball home games are available now on the internet at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the SHSU athletic ticket office in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
