Women's tipoff time set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday
2/4/2011 6:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Due to inclement weather in the Huntsville area creating travel concerns for the Sam Houston State women's basketball team, the tip-off of Saturday's game between the Lions and Bearkats has been pushed back from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Icy conditions in the east Texas area will not allow the Bearkats to make the trip to Hammond Friday.
The game is set to be broadcast live on KHVL 1490 AM radio Saturday.
After starting Southland Conference play 5-0 for only the second time in Sam Houston's 24-years of women's basketball competition in the league, the Bearkats have dropped their last three contests. SHSU fell on the road at Stephen F. Austin and UTSA, then dropped a thriller to East Division leader McNeese Wednesday night.
Southeastern Louisiana leads the all-time women's basketball series with the Bearkats 20 victories to 10. The Lions currently own a five-game winning streak against Sam Houston State. Southeastern Louisiana won 70-60 in Huntsville last year. The Kats' last victory over the Lions came in Huntsville in 2006 by a 55-39 score.
Although the Bearkats were predicted to finish in sixth place in the Southland West in the annual preseason poll of the league's head coaches last October, Sam Houston ended pre-Southland play with the best non-conference record in the division. The Bearkats opened their schedule with five wins in their first six games, the program's best start since 1994.
Three Sam Houston players rank among the top 20 scorers in the Southland Conference. All three are sophomores. Britni Martin stands second in the Southland with a 16.1 scoring mean. Sequeena Thomas stands seventh in the league in scoring (14.3) and second in rebounds (9.9). Chanice Smith is averaging 11.5 points per game to rank 18th in the Southland.
The sophomore trio has combined for 49 double figure scoring performances this season -- 18 by Martin, 16 by Thomas and 15 by Smith.
