Bearkats play host to UTA Wednesday
1/10/2012 9:20:00 AM | Women's Basketball
After opening 2012 Southland Conference play with a victory at UTSA, the Sam Houston State women's basketball team looks to keep its winning streak going when the Bearkats play host to UT-Arlington Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
The Kats defeated UTSA 63-50 in San Antonio Saturday afternoon, Sam Houston's first women's basketball win on the Roadrunners' home floor at the Convocation Center since the 2000 season. The victory extended SHSU's winning streak to two games. The Kats concluded non-conference play on January 3 with a 69-51 road win at Houston Baptist.
Sam Houston stands 6-6 for the season while UTA brings a 2-10 overall mark to town after a 78-59 loss to Nicholls State in the Mavericks' conference opener.
UTA is led by 6-3 sophomore forward Rosalyn Thorpe who is averaging 9.5 points per game. The Mavericks' two victories this season came over Houston Baptist and McMurry.
Junior Britni Martin, a first-team All-Southland selection last year, again leads the Kats in scoring as a junior with 14.8 points per game including nine double-figure performances this season.
With 19 points in the victory at UTSA Saturday, the 6-0 Conroe product now stands 36 points away from becoming the 12th Sam Houston women's basketball play to score 1,000 career points. The junior has posted 964 career points in 71 games for a 13.6 all-time average.
Sequeena Thomas, a 6-0 junior forward from Allentown, Penn., is Sam Houston's other inside weapon. Thomas is averaging 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game this season.
Thomas was Sam Houston's co-Most Valuable Player with Britni Martin last year. She now ranks as Sam Houston's No. 9 all-time rebounder. With a total of 489 rebounds, she is 11 boards away from becoming the sixth Bearkat women to total 500 rebounds during her career.
Senior Khamra Echols and junior Chanice Smith also are returning starters for the Bearkats. Smith, a 5-9 shooting guard from Mansfield Timberview, is averaging 9.0 points per game. In three seasons she has totaled 682 points for a 10.3 career scoring average.
Echols, a 5-6 point guard from Dallas Skyline, is a three-year letter winner who has scored 549 points in 89 games as a Bearkat. She ranks No. 9 in Sam Houston career assists with 270. Last year she ranked No. 2 in the Southland in both assists per game (4.6) and assist/turnover ratio (1.6).
Angela Beadle, a 6-3 freshman from Austin Crockett, has earned a spot in the starting lineup in 2012. She is averaging 8.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest.
