Sam makes statement at Vanderbilt
3/17/2013 1:21:00 PM | Women's Bowling
The No. 8 ranked Bearkat women's bowling team finished off its regular season tournament schedule Sunday by making a statement for the NCAA Division I Elite Eight selection committee.
Sam Houston finished seventh in the Columbia 300 Music City Classic, knocking off No. 6 ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater twice in best of seven baker bracket play.
The Kats ended the three-day event which was hosted by Vanderbilt University at the Smyrna Bowling Center in Smyrna, Tenn., with an 11-4 match record that also included wins over six ranked foes including No. 9 Adelphi.
Sunday, the Bearkats opened with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater that included a narrow 225-214 win in the final game. No. 7 ranked Fairleigh-Dickinson defeated Sam Houston in four games, then the Kats completed play with a 4-0 victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Senior Michelle Secours earned All-Tournament honors. Secours was the second ranked performer in Saturday's six traditional team matches, producing a 225.2 pins average. Neiska Cardona was ninth in the individual standings in team play with a 212.3 average.
Seventeen of the current top 20 teams in the Division I women's bowling rankings were in attendance .at the tournament
Saturday, in tradition team match play, the Kats defeated No. 20 Delaware State 1060-863 and unranked Florida A&M 1037-838, North Carolina A&T 998-912 and Hamption 1011-840.
Sam Houston lost by only seven pins to No. 2 Maryland-Eastern Shore 959-952 and to No. 7 Fairleigh Dickinson 990-926.
The Kats jumped four places in the total pins standings that are used to seed the squads for Sunday's bracket round of best-of-seven bakers. Sam Houston stood seventh with 10,487 pins after two days.
Maryland-Eastern Shore led after the second day with 11,092 pins. Vanderbilt and Arkansas State both are 10-1 in the tournament while UMES is 10-2.
On Friday, in quad baker action, Sam Houston defeated No. 9 Adelphi 804-726, No. 17 New Jersey City 704-624, No. 12 Saint Francis (Pa) 877-848, No. 13 Sacred Heart 712-703 and No. 18 Saint Francis NY 759-742. The Kats' only loss was to unranked Prairie View A&M 744-647.
Sam Houston owns a 97-36 record in dual match play this year including a 37-26 mark against the current top 20.
"We're excited about where we stand right now," SHSU head coach Brad Hagen said. "We made the shots we had to and that's what it's all about. Our team has put together an impressive record this year. I couldn't be prouder of them."
