Women taking things one game at a time
3/6/2013 7:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
A victory over the Lumberjacks will clinch a tie for the 2013 Southland Conference regular season championship. Sam Houston's highest finish in its 26 years of Southland women's basketball has been third place.
The contest can be seen on ESPN3 Thursday in the Southland Conference's television package final regular-season Thursday broadcast.
If the Bearkats win, it will guarantee them one of the top two seeds and a bye to the tournament semifinals.
"We're looking at things one game at a time," SHSU head coach Brenda Nichols said. "We've been working towards this goal all season."
SFA, which currently is slotted for the seventh seed, hopes to improve its seed. The Ladyjacks can be seeded anywhere from No. 5 to No. 8.
Earlier in the season, Sam Houston defeated SFA 64-50 in Huntsville, Texas, on Feb. 20. SFA holds a 62-9 all-time record against Sam Houston though the two teams have split the season series each of the last two years.
Lyn Rollins and Jim Haller will have the call Thursday.
Heading into the final week of conference play, four teams are still fighting for the top position before Katy. If Sam Houston splits its remaining games, it is guaranteed a share of the regular-season championship and a top-two seed in Katy. Oral Roberts sits a half-game behind the Bearkats in the standings and must win to keep its regular-season title hopes alive and guarantee itself a bye to the semifinals in Katy by earning a top-two seed. Lamar is one game out of first with two games remaining and still has a chance of winning the regular season.
Sam Houston State leads all Southland Conference women's basketball teams in Monday's NCAA RPI report, which is published every Monday and Friday during the season.
The Bearkats enter the week at No. 111, up 14 spots from last week after beating Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana to close out Sam Houston's home schedule. Oral Roberts fell behind the Bearkats this week in the rankings even after jumped nine spots to No. 113. The Golden Eagles dropped a close game to McNeese State earlier last week but wrapped up the weekend with a win at Lamar. The Lady Cardinals are third in the Southland in the RPI, falling 17 spots to No. 151. Lamar beat UCA last week but fell at home to ORU.
Sam Houston State senior forward Sequeena Thomas ranks sixth in the country with 12.4 rebounds per game. Robert Morris' Artemis Spanou leads the nation with 15.5 rebounds per contest. Thomas is also 10th in the nation with 18 double-doubles on the season.
Thomas is one of three Bearkat seniors who have totaled more than 1,000 career points. Britni Martin stands No. 2 in all-time Sam Houston, Thomas ranks No. 4 and Chanice Smith sits at No. 13.
Sam Houston will close out the 2013 regular season with an afternoon game at Northwestern State Saturday.
