KATY - The Sam Houston women's basketball team's dream season came to an end Tuesday night as a hot-shooting UTSA squad rallied for a 69-61 victory over the Kats in a first round matchup in the State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament at the Leonard E. Merrell Center.
Ashleigh Franklin was on fire for the Roadrunners, scoring 33 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
Sequeena Thomas led the Bearkats with 19 points and 15 rebounds, her seventh consecutive outing with double figure points and rebounds.
“The best part
about tonight is we do have a young team and we are all going to be back next
year,” Nichols said. “These little things that weren't taken care of for
tonight, we will make sure we take care of them for next year. The ball just
didn't fall for us tonight.”
Jasmine Johnson added 13 points and Chanice Smith scored 12 points for SHSU.
UTSA limited Sam Houston to 29 percent shooting from the field (22-of-76). Bearkat leading scorer Britni Martin scored only six points, going 1-for-13 for the night, her only basket a three-pointer.
“The switched to a
triangle and two defense and it gave us some problems,” sophomore Britni Martin
said. “We weren't able to get the ball inside as much as we wanted and had to
take more outside shots. Unfortunately they weren't falling for us.”
The Roadrunners were hot from the start, jumping out to a 10-1 lead. Sam Houston fought back little by litte, finally cutting the UTSA to one, 33-32, with a buzzer beating three-point shot by Thomas at the buzzer.
“We do that every
game,” Nichols said about getting down early in the game. “I knew we were going
to fight back to get into this. I was so proud of Sequenna hitting that shot.
We practice that every road game and that is the first time in two years she
has made one.”
Sam Houston took the lead four times in the second period. Thomas hit a jumper to give the Bearkats at 34-33 lead at the 19:38 mark. Another Thomas basket with 16:55 to play put SHSU up 38-36.
Smith hit a three-pointer with 10:33 to go as Sam Houston took a 49-47 lead. A layup by Thomas with 7:36 to go gave the Kats their final lead 56-53.
UTSA out-scored Sam Houston 16-5 in the final six minutes. The Roadrunners hit three of their four free throws in the final minute was the Bearkats missed five consecutive shots.
Sam Houston ends the 2011 season with a 17-14 record, the most victories for a Bearkat women's basketball team since 1996.
UTSA, now 16-14, will face regular season champion and No. 1 seed McNeese State Thursday afternoon in the semifinals. The Cowgirls defeated Southeastern Louisiana 65-55 Tuesday.
No. 2 seed Lamar defeated Northwestern State 81-77 in the tournament's opening game. The Cardinals will play No. 3 seed Central Arkansas who defeated Stephen F. Austin 64-58.
