Pack The House Friday at Johnson Coliseum
11/20/2014 2:34:00 AM | Women's Basketball
One thing is for certain Friday at 11 a.m. when Wiley College comes to visit Sam Houston for a non-conference women's basketball game.
Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum will be rocking and loud.
Friday marks the seventh annual "Pack the House" Challenge game with more than 2,500 elementary students from Walker County area schools bused to the campus to watch NCAA Division I women's basketball.
Six years ago, in the first "Pack the House" contest, a school women's basketball record crowd of 2,261 saw the Bearkats play Southern Misssissippi.
Each season, the attendance has grown with 2,456 fans for Ole Miss in 2009; 2,503 for Centenary in 2010; 3,141 for Mary Hardin-Baylor in 2011, and 3,862 in 2012 and 2,457 in 2013 for A&M-Commerce.
"It's so much fun for the coaches and players to have all the kids there," Sam Houston head coach Brenda Nichols said. "If any fans haven't experienced a Pack the House game, it's an experience that they will not want to miss."
"Pack the House" is national effort by NCAA Division I in which conferences and institutions compete to build attendance. The NCAA awards prizes to each winner who in turn donates the $500 to the nonprofit organization of each winning institution's choice.
Almost two-thirds of the Division I membership - 184 institutions - participated in the effort last year that attracted more than 559,000 fans.
"Our girls really look forward to the 'Pack the House' game. With all those kids in the coliseum, it's just a great atmosphere," Nichols said. "It's a great way to introduce area youngsters to college athletics. Every person that attends is counted in the overall total and attendance is a major component to winning the award. We certainly hope that Sam Houston students, faculty and staff will want to come spent their lunchtime with us Friday and join in the fun."
The contest with Wiley Friday is the Bearkats' second game of the season. Sam Houston lost in its season opener Saturday 71-45 at LSU.
Transfer guard Shernise Robertson leads the SHSU women with 21.0 points per game. The Bearkats won an exhibition game with Mary Hardin-Baylor two weeks ago 85-67.
"We're looking to improve every time we step on the court," Nichols said. "We need to do the little things right, like playing without the ball, still working even when you're not getting the ball."
Following Friday's game, the Bearkats begin a road trip, heading to face South Dakota State on Monday and then to Dallas for the SMU Mustang Classic Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
