Sam Houston continues road swing, visits Rice
11/28/2016 9:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game 7
Tuesday, Nov. 29 • Houston, Texas • 7:00 p.m. • Tudor Fieldhouse (5,750)
Sam Houston State (0-6) vs Rice (3-2)
Live Stats • Listen Online • Game Notes • @BearkatsWBB on Twitter
HOUSTON, Texas – Sam Houston State women's basketball closes out the month of November with its seventh non-conference game of the season, visiting Rice on Tuesday at 7 p.m. from Tudor Fieldhouse.
The Bearkats (0-6) are coming off a pair of losses at the Feast On The Border in Edinburg, Texas, to Marshall and host UTRGV. Despite the defeats, the youthful Sam Houston squad saw a surge in its offense, tallying its most second-half points of the season with 32 against the Vaqueros.
Sam Houston freshman guard Jenniffer Oramas captured season bests in back-to-back games from Edinburg, recording 11 points against the Thundering Herd before posting 15 against UTRGV. Senior Jasmine McCants set a career best in points (18) and free throws made (6) against the Vaqueros.
Meanwhile, the Owls (3-2), who were picked seventh to finish seventh in the Conference USA preseason polls, return home following a 14-point loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday. Sam Houston will be the second Southland foe Rice faces, as the Owls took down Houston Baptist 79-53 earlier this year.
A FAMILIAR NON-CONFERENCE FOE IN RICE
Sam Houston and Rice meet for the 24th time on Tuesday night with the Owls holding a 16-7 advantage since the squads began playing in 1979.
After dropping five straight between 1998 and 2009, Sam Houston won consecutive games for the first time in the series, courtesy of a 73-55 first-round WBI postseason victory in Huntsville in 2012 and a 79-74 overtime win at Tudor Fieldhouse during the 2013-14 season.
The Kats fell 58-46 a season ago to the Owls in Huntsville as only three current players appeared in the game led by Morghen Day who brought home two rebounds.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Among Southland Conference competitors, Sam Houston ranks second in rebounding offense (44.2) and second in rebounding margin (+6.5). The Kats are also first in defensive rebounding percentage (.720)
Sam Houston senior Jasmine McCants ranks 11th in rebounding (6.7 per game) while Jennifer Oramas is 15th in three-point field goal percentage (.375). Kiera McKinney is fourth in blocked shots (8) and Morghen Day is tied for eighth in minutes per game (32.2).
KEEP THE BUS RUNNING
Sam Houston will spend 10 of its first 12 games away from the friendly confines of Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum including eight straight between Nov. 25 and Jan. 5. Tuesday's game against the Owls will be the third of a season-high eight games away from Huntsville.
The road trips themselves pose as equal of a challenge as the games on the slate. The Bearkats trekked 502 miles to take on Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.), 404 miles to face Marshall and UTRGV (Edinburg, Texas) and will travel 297 miles to square off against LSU (Baton Rouge, La.) two weeks from Wednesday.
WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
While Sam Houston is in search of its first win entering Tuesday night, it has not been because the Bearkats have not been aggressive in their rebounding.
The Bearkats have won the battle of the boards in five of their first six games and have outrebounded opponents 264-228 on the season. Sam Houston outrebounded Arkansas 38-35; TCU 50-37; Wiley College 50-36; UTRGV 45-37 and UTRGV again, 42-39.
