SHSU 10-5 at Music City Invt
3/18/2012 4:21:00 PM | Women's Bowling
Looking to make a statement for the NCAA selection committee in their final regular season tournament of the year, the Sam Houston women's bowling team rolled up a 10-5 record including nine wins over nationally-ranked opponents this past weekend at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic.
Sam Houston finished sixth in the final day bracket play, taking No. 1 ranked Fairleigh Dickinson to seven games in a thrilling final day match.
With the Kats' second match of the day Sunday tied at three games apiece, FDU earned the win by taking the seventh game 209-191.
Sandwiched around the loss to the No. 1 team, Sam Houston had a 4-0 victory and a 4-3 loss to No. 8 Sacred Heart. In the fifth place final, the two teams split two-and-two and tied 197-197 in the fifth game. Sacred Heart rallied for 204-164 and 199-166 wins in the final two stanzas to edge the Bearkats.
The tournament, which featured14 nationally-ranked squads in its 20-team field, is being hosted by Vanderbilt at the Smyrna Bowling Center in Smyrna, Tenn., just south of Nashville.
During Saturday's second-day traditional team play, the No. 9 Bearkats defeated No. 19 Monmouth 1,083-950, No. 12 New Jersey City 1,214-852, No. 15 Adelphi 1,109-881 and unranked Tulane 933-781/
The Bearkats lost two matches on Saturday, falling to No. 7 Central Missouri 1,090-866 and No. 1 Fairleigh Dickinson 848-751.
Sam Houston senior Dayna Galganski finished sixth in total pins individually among all individual competitors in Saturday's traditional team play with a 202.3 average.
Friday, in quad Baker play, the Kats knocked off No. 3 Nebraska 782-749, No. 10 Stephen F. Austin 782-693, No. 13 Kutztown 835-642, No. 17 Alabama A&M 754-667 and No. 18 Saint Francis (NY) 837-761. Sam Houston's only loss was to No. 8 Sacred Heart 766-702.
The 10-5 showing upped Sam Houston's season match won-loss record to 79-35. The Bearkats are 46-31 against ranked teams this year.
"I'm really proud of the way the girls came up here focused and ready to play," Sam Houston head coach Brad Hagen. "This was a big tournament for everyone involved. Now we wait to see what the NCAA selection committee says."
Sam Houston is seeking its second consecutive NCAA Division I women's bowling national tournament appearance. The Bearkats became the first program to earn a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight during its inaugural season in 2011.
The 2012 NCAA Women's Bowling Championship will be held April 12-14 in Cleveland. Major factors in NCAA selection are strength of schedule, won-loss percentage and high level victories.
| Music City Classic - Smyrna, Tenn. - 8th place | ||||
| 3/16 | Kutztown (#13) | Won | 835 | 642 |
| 3/16 | Saint Francis NY (#18) | Won | 837 | 761 |
| 3/16 | Sacred Heart (#8) | Lost | 702 | 766 |
| 3/16 | Nebraska (#3) | Won | 782 | 749 |
| 3/16 | Stephen F. Austin (#10) | Won | 754 | 693 |
| 3/16 | Alabama A&M (#17) | Won | 682 | 667 |
| 3/17 | Central Missouri (#7) | Lost | 866 | 1090 |
| 3/17 | New Jersey City (#12) | Won | 1214 | 8552 |
| 3/17 | Adelphi (#15) | Won | 889 | 881 |
| 3/17 | Monmouth (#19) | Won | 931 | 848 |
| 3/17 | Fairleigh Dickson (#1) | Lost | 907 | 950 |
| 3/17 | Tulane | Won | 933 | 781 |
| 3/18 | Sacred Heart (#8) | Won | 4 | 0 |
| 3/18 | Fairleigh Dickson (#1) | Lost | 3 | 4 |
| 3/18 | Sacred Heart (#8) | Lost | 4 | 3 |
