Women ready to test themselves against best
10/16/2012 2:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The big day is Friday, Nov. 9, when Sam Houston opens play in the preseason Women's National Invitational the nationally-ranked Delaware Blue Hens.
Delaware is the favorite to repeat as Colonial champs and make a postseason run with All-American Elena Delle Donne returning for her final season with the starting lineup intact. Delle Donne led the nation last year in scoring, averaging 28.1 points a game for the 31-2 Blue Hens, who finished the season ranked 14th in the country.
"We're so excited about the opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the country," SHSU head coach Brenda Nichols said. "You can't really measure yourself as a player without going up against the best."
The Bearkats are poised to be a contender for the 2013 Southland Conference championship and look to show what the team is capable of against a strong nationwide field in the WNIT.
Four starters and six other letter-winners return from last year's team that rolled up an 18-12 overall record and played in a national post-season tournament for the first time in school history.
The 2012 Bearkats added a second consecutive West Division championship for the program. With their 12-4 league record in 2012, the women' achieved their highest seed (third) at the Southland post-season tournament. The .750 winning percentage in Southland action is the program's highest in 25 years in the league.
The 18-12 overall record equaled the school mark for most victories in one year (tying the 1996 squad). The 35 victories during the past two seasons mark the most in a two-year period for Sam Houston's 30-year history as an NCAA program.
Senior forward Britni Martin and Sequeena Thomas both are back as two-time All-Southland Conference performers. Martin was a first team selection in both 2011 and 2012 while Thomas was a second team pick both years.
Martin was the league's third-leading scorer last year and stood 52nd nationally with a 17.2 scoring average. She led the Southland Conference in three point baskets per game (2.9).
Thomas led Southland Conference rebounding and ranked No. 2 nationally with 12.5 rebounds per game. She also stood ninth in the league in scoring with 14.4 points per game.
Martin enters her senior year ranked as SHSU's No. 3 all-time leading scorer with 1,310 career points (14.7 per game). She also stands No. 2 in Bearkat career three point field goals (232) and No. 7 in career assists (316). She led team with 523 points, third highest single season scoring total in SHSU women's history.
Thomas begins her senior season ranked No. 3 in Sam Houston career rebounding (758), No. 2 in career blocks (120) and No. 13 in career scoring (956 points).
Sam Houston's third returning senior leader is 5-9 guard Chanice Smith who has scored 797 points in 82 games as a Bearkat. She begins her senior season ranked No. 17 in SHSU women's basketball career scoring. Smith produced third highest scoring average on 2012 team with 7.7 points per game
Sophomore Angela Beadle and junior Jasmine Johnson, both starters in 2012, return as well. Beadle, a 6-3 post player, averaged 7.3 points and 7.0 rebounds while Johnson, a 5-7 guard, ranked third on the team in scoring with 7.5 points per game.
Junior Clarke Davis, a 6-0 forward who started as a sophomore in 2011 but red-shirted due to an injury last season, is back. Other returning players include 5-11 Jazmin Wiley (4.9 points per game), 5-8 guard Kaysean Clavelle (3.4), 5-10 forward Nyha Carter (1.1) and 6-1 post player Zoe Tucker (0.9).
Two freshmen guards bring further strength to the Bearkat backcourt. Transfer Summer Fife also will join the team but will not be eligible to compete until the 2013-14 season.
Jasmin Anderson, a 5-7 ball-hander from Loyola College Prep, led her team to 1 33-2 record and Louisiana Class 3A state championship as senior in 2012. She averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Anderson completed her career ranked among Loyola's top 20 all-time scorers and in the top 10 in career three point field goals and assists.
Amanda Barnes, a 5-5 standout for Arlington Martin High School, was a first team All-District selection, team captain and team "Most Valuable Player" as a senior. She averaged 14.2 points and 3.5 assists as a senior, leading squad to bi-district championship .
Sam Houston will play a preseason exhibition game on Sunday, Nov. 4 against Southwestern University at Johnson Coliseum. Tipoff is 3 p.m. The Bearkats' first home regular season game will be Friday, Nov. 30 in the annual "Pack-the-House" game against Texas A&M-Commerce at 12 noon.
